NIH cuts vaccine outreach funding amid measles outbreak concerns
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the USA have decided to withdraw or limit grants for research concerning the promotion of vaccinations and ways to popularize vaccinations in society. Due to low vaccination rates, the USA is currently dealing with a measles outbreak.
The institutes' notification addressed over 40 beneficiary states. The Washington Post cited it as saying, "The National Institutes of Health will cancel or cut back dozens of grants for research on why some people are reluctant to be vaccinated and how to increase vaccine acceptance, according to an internal email obtained by The Washington Post on Monday."
This decision, communicated by Michelle Bulls, Director of the Office of Policy for Extramural Research Administration, leaves open the possibility of maintaining funding in some cases if beneficiaries limit the scope of vaccination-related research.
According to the information, awards granted by the NIH—the largest funders of biomedical research in the world—must be immediately terminated.
Dangerous diseases return due to lack of vaccinations
The NIH decision concerns public health experts, especially in the context of emerging information about planned research on the link between autism and vaccines. This topic has long been of interest to the Health Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Extensive scientific research, excluding such a link, does not convince him.
Kennedy, known for his vaccine skepticism, is criticized for actions taken in the face of the measles outbreak in the USA. The outbreak, which led to the first death from measles in the USA in a decade, currently includes at least 222 cases. 94% of the cases involve unvaccinated individuals or those with an unknown vaccination status.
Kennedy initially downplayed the outbreak, claiming it was a reasonably routine phenomenon. "There have been four measles outbreaks this year. In this country last year there were 16. So, it's not unusual. We have measles outbreaks every year," Kennedy told government representatives.
Source: "The Washington Post"
