AMA, Vaccine Integrity Project to independently assess vaccine safety

The American Medical Association and the Vaccine Integrity Project will assess vaccine safety and effectiveness independently for the 2026-2027 respiratory virus season, contending the U.S. government’s evidence-based process for assessing vaccine safety has “effectively collapsed.” The organizations said their goal is to “ensure a deliberative, evidence-driven approach to produce the data necessary to understand the risks and benefits of vaccine policy decisions for all populations.” Their review will focus on influenza, COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus vaccines. A KFF poll found only 44% of U.S. adults are confident in federal health agencies to make recommendations for childhood vaccines. The CDC recently cut the number of universally recommended childhood vaccines from 17 to 11 without evidence and against the recommendations of public health experts. (American Medical Association news release, 2/10/26)