STAT+: Conflicts among CDC and FDA vaccine panel members are not as numerous as you think, study finds

Conflicts of interest on federal government vaccine panels have declined to “historically low levels” in recent years according to a new study, findings that are likely to increase debate over a contentious issue pushed by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

The rate of conflicts among members of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices dropped from nearly 43% in 2000 to 5% last year, according to the study, published Monday in JAMA. Conflicts on the Food and Drug Administration’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee fell from 11% to 0 during the same period.

Overall, the rate of any type of conflict declared by panel members was 13.5% on ACIP between 2000 and 2024, and 4% on the FDA vaccine panel, with conflicts dropping precipitously over the years on both panels. Most conflicts involved funding for research work – 10% among ACIP panelists and nearly 1% on the FDA vaccine panel. Other types of conflicts – consulting, stock or patent ownership, and serving on a company data monitoring board – accounted for far fewer conflicts.

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