Summarised by Centrist
A Florida grand jury investigating COVID vaccines uncovered “profound and serious issues” in vaccine development and safety monitoring in the US, despite finding no criminal activity.
The report, unsealed Tuesday, criticised Big Pharma and regulators for “deceptive and obfuscatory behaviour,” and called for systemic reform to prevent future lapses.
The jury’s 140-page report, initiated by Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis in 2022, has been described as a “blueprint for systemic change.”
It points to failings such as Pfizer’s omission of adverse events in pregnant women from early trials and the FDA’s lax enforcement of advertising rules. It condemned the “revolving door” between regulatory agencies and pharmaceutical companies, calling this dynamic a major barrier to accountability.
Recommendations included requiring real-time disclosure of safety signals, ending legal immunity for vaccine makers who fail to comply with transparency rules, and banning direct-to-consumer drug marketing
The jury stated, “The public deserves regulating entities that operate as watchdogs, not cheerleaders.”
Governor DeSantis pointed to the report’s concerns about taxpayer-funded pharmaceutical profits, saying, “The status quo cannot continue.” Critics of the vaccine rollout argue it prioritised speed over caution.
Editor’s note: Like the US, New Zealand allows direct-to-consumer drug marketing. These are the only two developed countries that do so.
