Covid shots don't need to be 'pulled' from market, but stop EUA to boosters without data

 by Vinay Prasad

I received 2 doses of the covid vaccine I didn't want because of an unethical mandate (I only wanted 1 dose, total). I think coercive pressure to mandate the covid shot for kids was wrong, and I think the decision to add the vax to childhood immunization was a catastrophic error and will poison trust for years to come. I said all this at the time.

Recently I watched Calley Means on a podcast where he was asked repeatedly if he would call for the immediate removal of covid shots from the market. He declined to say this.

Let me be clear: that is a silly and pointless policy idea. Right now, in 2024, most people getting the covid shots want them and most people who don't want them, don't get them. (note: the vast majority of Americans say no— aka are smart)

There are some residual mandates around immigration that are stupid, and should and will be dropped by Trump. And some school and medical school mandates that need to fall.

Kamala Harris’ campaign had a covid vax mandate and she paid the price. That mandate ensured she got only the dumbest staffers who thought covid boosters are necessary for 20 year olds who already had covid, and going on Joe Rogan would be a bad idea. Ironically her policy self selected for the out of touch.

Moreover, there is a clearer path to solving the covid vaccine debate forever. The FDA should demand a clinical trial powered for hard outcomes of the fall booster. There can be separate trials by age 18-40, 40-59, 60-80, 80+. And the booster should only get BLA where it works. In the meantime, EUA can be considered for 80+ and in nursing homes or people who are *really* immunocompromised (this is not a 25 year old with mild asthma btw), and rescinded if the trial does not complete.

There is no need to be dramatic and make a useless declaration “I, Calley Means, call for all covid shots…”. It is silly to ask him to say that. And what precisely does that mean? Who will act upon it? How? What legal mechanism?

Just make FDA demand randomized data and covid shots will sink like the Titanic. I suspect the trials may only be positive in the above 80 and nursing home group. The rest will be negative. Actually even here, I am 50-50. The companies, I suspect, know this and will not run them in young ages, but rather withdraw from market.

The people who want to make this declaration are doing a disservice to reform. Their position is crazy and makes the movement to get the truth about vaccine benefits and harms look crazy. Make the companies run the right studies and you will get the truth, once and for all.

https://www.drvinayprasad.com/p/covid-shots-dont-need-to-be-pulled