{"id":2366,"date":"2025-06-06T11:41:55","date_gmt":"2025-06-06T11:41:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/retirednurseblog.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/06\/despite-kennedys-claims-vaccines-have-been-tested-in-placebo-controlled-studies-nearly-260-of-them\/"},"modified":"2025-06-06T11:41:55","modified_gmt":"2025-06-06T11:41:55","slug":"despite-kennedys-claims-vaccines-have-been-tested-in-placebo-controlled-studies-nearly-260-of-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/retirednurseblog.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/06\/despite-kennedys-claims-vaccines-have-been-tested-in-placebo-controlled-studies-nearly-260-of-them\/","title":{"rendered":"Despite Kennedy\u2019s claims, vaccines have been tested in placebo-controlled studies \u2013 nearly 260 of them"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/action-bar\/instances\/cmbie1ikl003s26qp8lzqcu1c@published\" data-label-id-prefix=\"action-bar-start-of-article\" class=\"action-bar\" 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class=\"follow-topics-bar_overlay__fade follow-topics-bar_overlay__fade--hide\"><\/div>\n<p>                      See all topics              <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"action-bar__action-sheet--action\" data-title=\"share options\">\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/social-share\/instances\/cmbie1ikl003v26qp1ukp7smk@published\" class=\"social-share_labelled-list\">\n<div class=\"social-share_labelled-list__share-links vossi-social-share_labelled-list\" data-type=\"share-links\">        <button class=\"social-share_labelled-list__share\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/dialog\/share?app_id=80401312489&amp;href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2025%2F06%2F05%2Fhealth%2Fvaccine-placebo-studies-kennedy&amp;display=popup\" data-type=\"facebook\" aria-label=\"share with facebook\" title=\"Share with Facebook\">                                <span class=\"social-share_labelled-list__share-links--label\">Facebook<\/span>        <\/button>        <button class=\"social-share_labelled-list__share\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=Check%20out%20this%20article%3A&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2025%2F06%2F05%2Fhealth%2Fvaccine-placebo-studies-kennedy\" data-type=\"x\" aria-label=\"share with x\" title=\"Share with X\">                                <span class=\"social-share_labelled-list__share-links--label\">Tweet<\/span>        <\/button>                                        <span class=\"social-share_labelled-list__share-links--label\">Email<\/span>                <button class=\"social-share_labelled-list__share\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2025\/06\/05\/health\/vaccine-placebo-studies-kennedy\" data-type=\"copy\" aria-label=\"copy link to clipboard\" title=\"Copy link to clipboard\">                                <span class=\"social-share_labelled-list__share-links--label\">Link<\/span>        <\/button>        <\/p>\n<div class=\"social-share_labelled-list__copied\" data-type=\"message\">                        Link Copied!        <\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>    <button class=\"social-share_labelled-list__open\" data-type=\"open\" aria-label=\"open social share\" title=\"Open social share\">            <\/button>    <button class=\"social-share_labelled-list__close\" data-type=\"close\" aria-label=\"close social share\" title=\"Close social share\">            <\/button><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"action-bar__buttons\">            <button class=\"action-bar__button\" data-title=\"follow\">                                        Follow            <\/button>            <button class=\"action-bar__button\" data-title=\"share options\">                                <\/button>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbied8fk001l2e6bdkvswxuz@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has repeatedly claimed in public statements that most vaccines recommended for children<strong> <\/strong>in the US have not been tested against placebos, and particularly inert placebos such as saline solution or water.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbie2zej00082e6bsoo8u5gm@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cThe only vaccine that has been tested in a full-blown placebo trial against an inert placebo was the Covid vaccine,\u201d Kennedy said May 14 in testimony before the US Senate\u2019s Health, Labor, Education and Pensions Committee.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbie2zej00092e6bvxv28ns6@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cThe other 76 shots that children in this country received between birth and 18 years old, none of them have been safety tested in prelicensing studies against the placebo, which means we don\u2019t understand the risk profile for those products, and that\u2019s something I intend to remedy,\u201d he told Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Connecticut.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbigvm8a001r2e6bksh5cmnn@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            In 2023, Kennedy told Fox News host Jesse Watters: \u201cVaccines are exempt from prelicensing placebo-controlled trials, so that there\u2019s no way that anybody can tell the risk profile of those products or even the relative benefits of those products before they\u2019re mandated. And we should have that kind of testing.\u201d    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbjn11sf00023b6mc8keybd6@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            HHS is acting on Kennedy\u2019s claims, too. The department recently announced it will require all new vaccines be tested in placebo-controlled trials before they\u2019re licensed for use, a change it called \u201ca radical departure from past practices.\u201d    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbihhvv2002a2e6bcw3z5ieg@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            These claims made Dr. Jake Scott\u2019s ears perk up. Scott, an infectious disease specialist at Stanford University, knew that the assertions couldn\u2019t be true, and now he says he has the proof.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbie2zej00042e6b76f7frms@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Scott launched a project in April to round up every randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial of vaccines in the medical literature, including studies run in other countries, since some vaccines used in the US are tested overseas.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbie2zej00052e6bujoqqzvh@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            It took five weeks to arrive at a number: There<strong> <\/strong>have been 258 placebo-controlled clinical trials of vaccines, according to Scott and a team of volunteers who scoured databases of medical literature. More than half of those studies tested vaccines against inert placebos.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbihumtz002n2e6borqkamsw@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Based on Scott\u2019s research, at least nine of the 16 vaccines that are routinely recommended by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for children have been tested against inert placebos, while several more have been tested against active placebos.    <\/p>\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/related-content\/instances\/cmbjr66ro00033b6m8m54etuz@published\" data-component-name=\"related-content\" class=\"related-content-elevate related-content--article\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n<header class=\"related-content__title related-content__title-text\" data-editable=\"content.title\">Related article<\/header>\n<section class=\"related-content__body\">\n<div class=\"related-content__image image__related-content\">\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/image\/instances\/cmb8faa0h001b28qj8zs933xo@published\" class=\"image-elevate image__hide-placeholder\" data-image-variation=\"image\" data-name=\"AP25010592804676.jpg\" data-component-name=\"image\" data-observe-resizes=\"\" data-breakpoints=\"{&quot;image--eq-extra-small&quot;: 115, &quot;image--eq-small&quot;: 300, &quot;image--eq-large&quot;: 660}\" data-original-ratio=\"0.668\" data-original-height=\"2004\" data-original-width=\"3000\" data-url=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/ap25010592804676.jpg?c=original\" data-editable=\"settings\">\n<div class=\"image__container \" data-image-variation=\"image\" data-breakpoints=\"{&quot;image--eq-extra-small&quot;: 115, &quot;image--eq-small&quot;: 300, &quot;image--show-credits&quot;: 525}\">           <\/div>\n<div class=\"image__metadata-container media__metadata-container\">\n<div class=\"image__metadata media__metadata\">\n<div class=\"image__caption attribution\">    <span data-editable=\"metaCaption\" class=\"inline-placeholder\">Changes are coming to the way Covid-19 vaccines are approved, and for whom.<\/span>  <\/div><figcaption class=\"image__credit\">Mary Conlon\/AP<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"related-content__headline\">        <span class=\"related-content__headline-text\" data-editable=\"content.headline\">How changes to Covid-19 vaccine policy in the US may affect you<\/span>      <\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbie2zej00062e6bfdnp1fnh@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            In scientific research, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials are considered to generate the highest-quality evidence. That\u2019s because they split their study participants into equal groups; some get the study intervention or treatment, while others get a placebo or dummy remedy.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbiisqxo00033b6m7qv05zjh@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Placebos are often carefully designed to look, taste or even smell like the intervention that\u2019s being tested. The idea is to keep both the participants and the researchers themselves in the dark about who\u2019s getting the real thing until the end of the study, when the results are analyzed and reported, to prevent any potential bias.    <\/p>\n<h2 class=\"subheader inline-placeholder subheader-elevate vossi-subheader vossi-subheader--size-h2\" data-editable=\"text\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/subheader\/instances\/cmbieapd1001e2e6b3qbthx2s@published\" data-component-name=\"subheader\" id=\"crowdsourcing-vaccine-research\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">        Crowdsourcing vaccine research<\/h2>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbie2zej000b2e6bvhllp5ex@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            On April 22, Scott posted a link to a shared Google spreadsheet online, along with some ground rules about which trials could and couldn\u2019t be included. The studies had to be in humans; no animal studies or lab-only investigations allowed. The researchers also used a particular set of search terms, with no limits on dates, languages or pathogens. The team then read each study<strong> <\/strong>that was found<strong> <\/strong>to make sure it met the specified criteria for inclusion in the review.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbie2zej000c2e6b7x9j33b2@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cIt took off,\u201d Scott said. He estimates that the project had five or six core contributors, but they had help from around the world.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbie2zej000d2e6b4sjnrqdy@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Together, they scoured PubMed, the database of medical research maintained by the National Library of Medicine, as well as reference lists from Cochrane, the World Health Organization and the CDC.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbie2zej000e2e6bm0k11viz@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Toronto, said he was blown away when he saw the final list of studies, which included about 2.5 million participants in total.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbie2zej000f2e6bwtnd11kp@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cThe body of evidence for many of the vaccines that we use is very impressive, and the data is robust,\u201d said Bogoch, who didn\u2019t contribute to the project. \u201cThis type of work is extremely important in era of unprecedented vaccine hesitancy.\u201d    <\/p>\n<h2 class=\"subheader inline-placeholder subheader-elevate vossi-subheader vossi-subheader--size-h2\" data-editable=\"text\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/subheader\/instances\/cmbieb4qc001g2e6btba9qriv@published\" data-component-name=\"subheader\" id=\"a-demonstrably-false-claim\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">        A \u2018demonstrably false\u2019 claim<\/h2>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbie2zej000g2e6bicdavttn@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Scott said<strong> <\/strong>the research proves that Kennedy\u2019s statements are \u201cdemonstrably false.\u201d    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbie2zej000h2e6b2ste9g0z@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            To understand why, it\u2019s useful to break down the parts of Kennedy\u2019s argument, which he has repeated in different iterations for years.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbie2zej000i2e6btojzkbng@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Kennedy has shifted the goalposts, but there are a few things he has said would make a clinical trial meet his requirements: First, an inert placebo, meaning a placebo control that didn\u2019t have any biological effects on the body, like water or saline solution. Kennedy has said that without comparison to an inert placebo, the true side effects of vaccines can\u2019t be fully understood.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbiix2c800083b6m7rkxdv45@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            He also uses the term \u201cprelicensing,\u201d meaning the research is conducted before the US Food and Drug Administration has approved the vaccines. The FDA sometimes accepts enough evidence to approve a vaccine but then will require more safety studies and monitoring after approval. Kennedy and other critics argue that more safety testing should be done before the vaccines are approved in the first place.    <\/p>\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/image\/instances\/cmbif68yp00033b6mg25u06uf@published\" class=\"image_large-elevate image_large__hide-placeholder\" data-image-variation=\"image_large\" data-name=\"GettyImages-2217033977.jpg\" data-component-name=\"image\" data-observe-resizes=\"\" data-breakpoints=\"{&quot;image_large--eq-extra-small&quot;: 115, &quot;image_large--eq-small&quot;: 300, &quot;image_large--eq-large&quot;: 660}\" data-original-ratio=\"0.6666666666666666\" data-original-height=\"2000\" data-original-width=\"3000\" data-url=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/gettyimages-2217033977.jpg?c=original\" data-editable=\"settings\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n<div class=\"image_large__container \" data-image-variation=\"image_large\" data-breakpoints=\"{&quot;image_large--eq-extra-small&quot;: 115, &quot;image_large--eq-small&quot;: 300, &quot;image_large--show-credits&quot;: 525}\">        <\/strong>in the US<strong> <\/strong>have not been tested against inert placebos.&#8221; class=&#8221;image_large__dam-img image_large__dam-img&#8211;loading&#8221; onload=&#8221;this.classList.remove(&#8216;image_large__dam-img&#8211;loading&#8217;)&#8221; onerror=&#8221;imageLoadError(this)&#8221; height=&#8221;2000&#8243; width=&#8221;3000&#8243; loading=&#8221;lazy&#8221;&gt;    <\/div>\n<div class=\"image_large__metadata-container media__metadata-container\">\n<div class=\"image_large__metadata media__metadata\">\n<div class=\"image_large__caption attribution\">    <span data-editable=\"metaCaption\" class=\"inline-placeholder\">US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has repeatedly claimed that most ((ALMOST ALL?)) vaccines recommended for children<strong> <\/strong>in the US<strong> <\/strong>have not been tested against inert placebos.<\/span>  <\/div><figcaption class=\"image_large__credit\">Demetrius Freeman\/The Washington Post\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbie2zej000j2e6bz7zcnduv@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            In some instances, Kennedy has also said that these studies should be large, including many participants, and long-running. In general, larger studies have greater statistical power to show subtle differences between groups. And the longer a trial follows its participants, the more confident researchers can be in the durability of their results.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbiiyz2x000d3b6m7rwr58j9@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Although scientists agree that larger and longer clinical trials are the most reliable, these studies are expensive to conduct. They can take years to run, which delays the possibility of getting an effective intervention to people. It can also be difficult to find participants who can stick with the monitoring requirements of a study for longer periods of time.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbil9bx300002e6b98sr89hk@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            In recent testimony, however, even Kennedy seemed to be softening his stance on this particular stipulation, agreeing that other types of studies can provide solid evidence, too.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbilnsrf00082e6bo4z5vnrj@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cYou know that the Cochrane Collaboration in 2016 published a study that showed that the predictive capacity of placebo-controlled trials, which are the gold standard, is actually not any better than good observational trials in retrospective trials. So we can do those kind of studies without subjecting people to an unethical experiment,\u201d Kennedy said<strong> <\/strong>during a May 20 Senate budget hearing when asked about the need to test established vaccines in large, lengthy placebo-controlled trials.<strong> <\/strong>    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbie2zej000k2e6buj3idvlx@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            In his 2021 book, \u201cThe Real Anthony Fauci: Bill Gates, Big Pharma, and the Global War on Democracy and Public Health,\u201d<em> <\/em>Kennedy repeats the claim that vaccines for children haven\u2019t been tested against inert placebos, saying that he and groups he\u2019s affiliated with have explicitly asked to be shown such studies. He cites two letters between the Informed Consent Action Network or ICAN, a group run by his close associate Del Bigtree, and HHS.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbie2zej000m2e6bpprykkpc@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            The letter from ICAN asserts that in contrast to most other FDA-approved medications, \u201cvaccines are not required to undergo long-term double-blind inert-placebo controlled trials to assess safety. In fact, not a single one of the clinical trials for vaccines given to babies and toddlers had a control group receiving an inert placebo.\u201d    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbie2zej000n2e6bnuav0zn6@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            The HHS letter refutes this claim: \u201cContrary to statements made on page two of your letter, many pediatric vaccines have been investigated in clinical trials that included a placebo.\u201d  The letter goes on to say inert placebos are not necessary to understand the safety of a new vaccine, and so they haven\u2019t been required.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbjp03wv00052e6bza8j1i0b@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Still, Scott says the evidence is clear: Of the 258 placebo-controlled vaccine studies he and his colleagues found, about half \u2013 128 \u2013 included inert placebos.    <\/p>\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/related-content\/instances\/cmbjr3d0000013b6mmq0psh0t@published\" data-component-name=\"related-content\" class=\"related-content-elevate related-content--article\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n<header class=\"related-content__title related-content__title-text\" data-editable=\"content.title\">Related article<\/header>\n<section class=\"related-content__body\">\n<div class=\"related-content__image image__related-content\">\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/image\/instances\/cma4prglc002g26nv6xbv9ps9@published\" class=\"image-elevate image__hide-placeholder\" data-image-variation=\"image\" data-name=\"GettyImages-2212190251.jpg\" data-component-name=\"image\" data-observe-resizes=\"\" data-breakpoints=\"{&quot;image--eq-extra-small&quot;: 115, &quot;image--eq-small&quot;: 300, &quot;image--eq-large&quot;: 660}\" data-original-ratio=\"0.6666666666666666\" data-original-height=\"2000\" data-original-width=\"3000\" data-url=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/gettyimages-2212190251.jpg?c=original\" data-editable=\"settings\">\n<div class=\"image__container \" data-image-variation=\"image\" data-breakpoints=\"{&quot;image--eq-extra-small&quot;: 115, &quot;image--eq-small&quot;: 300, &quot;image--show-credits&quot;: 525}\">           <\/div>\n<div class=\"image__metadata-container media__metadata-container\">\n<div class=\"image__metadata media__metadata\">\n<div class=\"image__caption attribution\">    <span data-editable=\"metaCaption\" class=\"inline-placeholder\">WASHINGTON, DC &#8211; APRIL 30: Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. attends a Cabinet meeting at the White House on April 30, 2025 in Washington, DC. Trump convened the meeting as reports released today say the U.S. economy contracted 0.3% in the first quarter of 2025, the first negative reading in three years, fueled by a massive surge in imports ahead of the administration&#8217;s expected tariffs. (Photo by Andrew Harnik\/Getty Images)<\/span>  <\/div><figcaption class=\"image__credit\">Andrew Harnik\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"related-content__headline\">        <span class=\"related-content__headline-text\" data-editable=\"content.headline\">HHS to require placebo testing of \u2018all new vaccines,\u2019 raising questions about approval of updated Covid-19 shots<\/span>      <\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbie2zej000p2e6bq8933lqo@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            When it comes to vaccines routinely recommended for children, specifically, Scott found that at least nine of the 16 on the CDC\u2019s regular schedule have been tested against inert placebos: These are the vaccines against Covid-19; rotavirus; polio; influenza; measles, mumps and rubella; human papillomavirus; varicella, or chickenpox; pneumococcal; and H-flu, or Haemophilus influenzae.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbie2zej000r2e6bu69prdde@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            One of the largest of these trials was on the polio vaccine. The placebo-controlled part of the study included more than 400,000 grade-schoolers. Half got the inactivated polio vaccine created by Dr. Jonas Salk, and the other half were given injections of an inert placebo, which was saline solution.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbij3zuq000h3b6mj9sfdw7s@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            The trial was conducted in 1954, and the results were announced in April 1955. So great was the urgency to get the vaccine to kids that the FDA licensed it the same day.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbie2zej000t2e6blxswhgqn@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Scott says he and his colleagues hope to have their project published in peer-reviewed medical journal soon. For now, it\u2019s available in a publicly posted spreadsheet.    <\/p>\n<h2 class=\"subheader inline-placeholder subheader-elevate vossi-subheader vossi-subheader--size-h2\" data-editable=\"text\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/subheader\/instances\/cmbiec2b6001i2e6bzuwo5ttk@published\" data-component-name=\"subheader\" id=\"active-vs-inert-placebos\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">        Active vs. inert placebos<\/h2>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbie2zej000u2e6bfrrr5s3e@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Vaccine trials that don\u2019t use inert placebos will sometimes use what are known as active placebos. These comparison shots have some biological effect but don\u2019t interfere with scientists\u2019 ability to interpret the results of their study.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbie2zej000v2e6bgaalpp82@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Active placebos are used for a variety of reasons. In some parts of the world, for example, where it might be difficult to recruit participants, researchers might give the control group an unrelated vaccine to make sure they\u2019re getting some benefit by enrolling in the study.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbij67xf000k3b6m0r1zhotf@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            One study published last year in the Lancet, testing a vaccine against malaria, gave participants in the control group a vaccine against rabies instead. Rabies vaccines don\u2019t protect against malaria, so they wouldn\u2019t interfere with researchers\u2019 ability to tell whether the malaria shot actually worked.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbie2zej000x2e6b3w7xnetq@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Other active placebos in the studies in Scott\u2019s project included shots that contained only an adjuvant, an ingredient that\u2019s added to vaccines to trigger a stronger immune response.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbie4b2x00182e6bmj0fdzui@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Dr. Greg Poland, who studies how adults and children respond to vaccines at the Mayo Clinic, said it would be a mistake to assume that active placebos can\u2019t be valid and rigorous ways to test vaccines.<strong> <\/strong>    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbie2zej000y2e6bpotuctnh@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Adjuvants, such as aluminum, are often the reason people get soreness around an injection site. Giving just the adjuvant can guard against even psychological bias in control participants who might guess that they didn\u2019t get a real vaccine if they didn\u2019t feel anything after their shots. It also allows researchers to isolate the benefits and side effects of the vaccine proteins, since everyone got the adjuvant.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbie2zej000z2e6blda0m34e@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cYou\u2019re literally saying, \u2018OK, we\u2019re testing a vaccine that has ingredient A plus B against a non-vaccine placebo that has ingredient B.\u2019 So the only thing different between the two of them is the actual vaccine,\u201d Poland said.    <\/p>\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/image\/instances\/cmbif5uss00013b6m92ikgvad@published\" class=\"image_large-elevate image_large__hide-placeholder\" data-image-variation=\"image_large\" data-name=\"GettyImages-1154224106.jpg\" data-component-name=\"image\" data-observe-resizes=\"\" data-breakpoints=\"{&quot;image_large--eq-extra-small&quot;: 115, &quot;image_large--eq-small&quot;: 300, &quot;image_large--eq-large&quot;: 660}\" data-original-ratio=\"0.651\" data-original-height=\"1953\" data-original-width=\"3000\" data-url=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/gettyimages-1154224106.jpg?c=original\" data-editable=\"settings\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n<div class=\"image_large__container \" data-image-variation=\"image_large\" data-breakpoints=\"{&quot;image_large--eq-extra-small&quot;: 115, &quot;image_large--eq-small&quot;: 300, &quot;image_large--show-credits&quot;: 525}\">           <\/div>\n<div class=\"image_large__metadata-container media__metadata-container\">\n<div class=\"image_large__metadata media__metadata\">\n<div class=\"image_large__caption attribution\">    <span data-editable=\"metaCaption\" class=\"inline-placeholder\">Dr. Greg Poland, left, of the Mayo Clinic vaccinates Dr. Harry Hall against smallpox during a demonstration in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 2003.<\/span>  <\/div><figcaption class=\"image_large__credit\">Bruce Bisping\/Star Tribune\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbie2zej00102e6buowm0adf@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            An active comparator might also be used rather than an inert placebo because of ethics. When there\u2019s already a vaccine that\u2019s considered to be safe and effective against an infection, it\u2019s considered unethical to deny study participants the chance to get it. In that case, companies that want to test a new and improved version of a vaccine against an older one would normally have to offer participants in their control group the older vaccine. Many modern vaccines have been compared against older versions of the same vaccine.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbie2zej00112e6bxveovvf5@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Flu vaccines are a good example, Poland says. If you were testing an improved type of flu vaccine, chances are that the board that oversees your clinical trial wouldn\u2019t approve a study that used an inert placebo \u2013 especially if you were testing it in a vulnerable group, like people over 65, for whom an infection is more likely to be dangerous.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbie2zej00122e6bsajdw1nt@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cIt\u2019s unethical because the recommendation is that everyone, each flu season, receive an influenza vaccine. So it\u2019d be unethical to enroll people in a study where they may just get placebo and not get any benefit of protection,\u201d Poland said.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbie2zej00132e6bttgu813j@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Poland said he\u2019s been puzzled by Kennedy\u2019s statements, too. He\u2019s concerned that they are getting traction with the public now that Kennedy is the head of the nation\u2019s health agencies.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbie2zej00142e6b94z4fj43@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cThis notion that there are no placebo-controlled vaccine trials is patently false, but it\u2019s a really interesting phenomenon that I have a hard time understanding,\u201d he said.    <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<div>This post appeared first on cnn.com<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Vaccines New in medicine Children&#8217;s health Federal agencies See all topics Facebook Tweet Email Link Link Copied! Follow US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has repeatedly claimed in public statements that most vaccines recommended for children in the US have not been tested against placebos, and particularly inert placebos such as &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2367,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"loftocean_post_primary_category":0,"loftocean_post_format_gallery":"","loftocean_post_format_gallery_ids":"","loftocean_post_format_gallery_urls":"","loftocean_post_format_video_id":0,"loftocean_post_format_video_url":"","loftocean_post_format_video_type":"","loftocean_post_format_video":"","loftocean_post_format_audio_type":"","loftocean_post_format_audio_url":"","loftocean_post_format_audio_id":0,"loftocean_post_format_audio":"","loftocean-featured-post":"","loftocean-like-count":0,"loftocean-view-count":405,"tinysalt_single_post_intro_label":"","tinysalt_single_post_intro_description":"","tinysalt_hide_post_featured_image":"","tinysalt_post_featured_media_position":"","tinysalt_single_site_header_source":"","tinysalt_single_custom_site_header":"0","tinysalt_single_custom_sticky_site_header":"0","tinysalt_single_custom_sticky_site_header_style":"sticky-scroll-up","tinysalt_single_site_footer_source":"","tinysalt_single_custom_site_footer":"0","footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2366","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/retirednurseblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2366","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/retirednurseblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/retirednurseblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/retirednurseblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/retirednurseblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2366"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/retirednurseblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2366\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/retirednurseblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2367"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/retirednurseblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2366"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/retirednurseblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2366"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/retirednurseblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2366"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}