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Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Sued PolitiFact's Owner In 2020 Over Flu Vaccine Fact-check

PolitiFact has a backstory with the recipient of our 2023 Lie of the Year recipient, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 

In August 2020, Kennedy's Children's Health Defense sued the Poynter Institute for Media Studies (PolitiFact's owner and publisher) in federal court alleging PolitiFact wrongly ruled false a third party's claim that the flu vaccine was "significantly associated" with an increased risk of coronavirus. 

The lawsuit alleged that PolitiFact blocked the group from displaying the article on its Facebook page, and more generally that it collaborated with Facebook and government entities — including the World Health Organization, the White House and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — "to suppress vaccine safety speech with a 'warning label' and other similar types of notices which, while purporting to flag misinformation, in reality censor valid and truthful speech, including content posted by (Children's Health Defense) on its Facebook page regarding vaccines."

Susan Illston, a judge sitting in the U.S. District Court for California's Northern District, dismissed those claims in June 2021.

The fact-check examined a claim that the flu vaccine was significantly associated with an increased risk of coronavirus. The claim tracks back to an April 2020 story from the website collective-evolution.Com. That story in turn cites research from the U.S. Armed Forces Health Surveillance Branch. PolitiFact's reporting, which relied on expert interviews, found that the Armed Forces study did not support the conclusion and headline of the collective-evolution.Com article. The study on respiratory viruses predated COVID-19's arrival in the United States. 

Collective-evolution.Com changed the headline and article after PolitiFact's fact-check. The story has since been removed from the website. 

Kennedy and Children's Health Defense continue to fight the case in court, appealing the lower-court decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit in California. Kennedy appeared and spoke at the appellate argument in May 2022 via Zoom. The appeal has sat for nearly 19 months without a decision. 

"We have never posted a single item of misinformation about COVID countermeasures," he told a three-judge panel.

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2020 Flu Vaccine Program

Medical experts are strongly emphasizing the importance of getting vaccinated against the flu this year. The goal is to prevent additional stress on the nation's healthcare system, already under significant strain from the COVID-19 pandemic.

To ensure our campus community has the best opportunity to be vaccinated against the flu, UAB Occupational Medicine will be hosting FREE drive-thru clinics this month. The clinics are available to UAB students and campus employees, and it's recommended to make an appointment in advance.

Make Your Appointment Now

Key Details:

Drive-thru flu vaccine clinic

Open to all UAB campus employees and students

9 a.M.-1 p.M.

Nov. 13th and 20th

Located in 12th Street Parking Deck (must enter on the 13th Street side)

Make appointment through UAB online system

Only 1-2 people can be vaccinated per vehicle

Both individuals must be on the driver's side of the vehicle and able to open their car door to receive the vaccine

Vaccine administered to left arm only

The vaccine is given in the upper arm, so plan your attire for easy access to that area.

You must have completed your daily Healthcheck and show your Event Passport

You must wear a mask

Your temperature will be taken

You must wait on location for 15 minutes after receiving the vaccine per CDC guidelines

Employees who are pregnant, allergic to eggs, or have previously had a adverse reaction and wish to receive their flu vaccine by Occupational Medicine should consult their primary care physician prior and have written permission to receive.

Visit uab.Edu/flu for more information

High-Dose Recombinant Vaccine May Enhance Protection Against Influenza Among Adults Aged 50-64

In a groundbreaking cluster-randomized observational study, Kaiser Permanente Northern California has unveiled compelling evidence supporting the superiority of a high-dose recombinant influenza vaccine over standard-dose egg-based vaccines. The study concluded that the high-dose recombinant vaccine was more protective than the standard egg-based vaccine.

The study was conducted during the 2018–2019 and 2019–2020 influenza seasons and involved a staggering 1,630,328 vaccinees aged 18 to 64 years.

The study results were published in The New England Journal of Medicine.

This cutting-edge research, driven by the imperative to evaluate the relative effectiveness of vaccine formulations, focused on adults aged 50 to 64 years—the primary target age group. The high-dose recombinant vaccine, known as Flublok Quadrivalent, contained an impressive three times the amount of hemagglutinin protein, a critical component for immune response, compared to conventional egg-based vaccines. Furthermore, the recombinant formulation demonstrated resilience against antigenic drift during manufacturing, a notable advantage in vaccine development. As there is uncertainty on the relative effectiveness of various vaccines, Kaiser Permanente Northern California facilities conducted a cluster-randomized observational study to evaluate the relative effectiveness of recombinant vaccines.

The study, employing a cluster-randomized design, saw Kaiser Permanente Northern California facilities alternate weekly between the high-dose recombinant vaccine and two standard-dose influenza vaccines. The primary outcome of interest was laboratory-confirmed influenza (A or B) identified through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing. Secondary outcomes encompassed influenza A and B subtypes, as well as influenza-related hospitalization rates. The results, unveiled after a meticulous analysis employing Cox regression, revealed a striking disparity in vaccine effectiveness between the two formulations.

Results:

Among participants aged 50 to 64 years, the recombinant vaccine demonstrated a 15.3% higher relative effectiveness against PCR-confirmed influenza compared to standard-dose vaccines.

This translates to a notable reduction in influenza cases, with 559 participants per 1000 testing positive in the recombinant-vaccine group, as opposed to 925 participants per 1000 in the standard-dose group.

Notably, the heightened protection extended to specific influenza subtypes, with the recombinant vaccine exhibiting a 15.7% higher relative effectiveness against influenza A in the same age group.

This robust efficacy against influenza A, a strain known for its severity, underscores the potential public health impact of adopting advanced vaccine formulations.

However, while the high-dose recombinant vaccine emerged as a standout performer in preventing PCR-confirmed influenza, it did not demonstrate a significant advantage in protecting against influenza-related hospitalization when compared to standard-dose vaccines.

In conclusion, this comprehensive study underscores the substantial benefits of the high-dose recombinant influenza vaccine for adults aged 50 to 64 years. The threefold increase in hemagglutinin protein content and resistance to antigenic drift position the recombinant formulation as a frontrunner in influenza vaccine development. As the world grapples with evolving health challenges, research of this nature paves the way for enhanced protection against seasonal influenza, offering a glimmer of hope for a healthier and more resilient future.

Further reading: Recombinant or Standard-Dose Influenza Vaccine in Adults under 65 Years of Age. N Engl J Med 2023; 389:2245-2255. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2302099

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