CDC’s Independence, Integrity Compromised by Funding from Private Industry
On its website, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) boasts a “Pledge to the American People” that outlines five commitments. Among these commitments is one to place the benefits to society above the benefits to the government agency. This prohibits employees “from participating in matters that post a conflict of interest or […]
How Government “Cures” Drive Out Real Cures
Opinion | Scurvy, we all know, is a disease caused by a vitamin C deficiency. It took almost 200 years from the time a “lemon juice” cure for scurvy was discovered until it was promoted by the British government. Some think the mental biases that caused the needless deaths of millions have been eliminated in […]
Why “Operation Warp Speed” Could Be Deadly
Opinion | Politicians are dreaming of a “Manhattan Project-style effort” to develop and distribute a coronavirus vaccine “for most Americans by year’s end.” To accomplish this dramatic cut in vaccine development time, “the program will pull together private pharmaceutical companies, government agencies and the military.” Normal vaccine development time is significantly longer. Fourteen potential coronavirus vaccines are vying to […]
CDC Foundation Ties to Industry Raise Conflict of Interest Concerns
Earlier this year, an article published in the British Medical Journal by the associate editor, Jeanne Lenzer, revealed that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) accepts funding from industy. Lenzer highlights that pharmaceuticals and other types of companies have the ability to fund CDC projects via the CDC Foundation.
