Summary

Dr. Peter Marks, the FDA’s top vaccine regulator, resigned after reportedly being forced out amid clashes with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

In his resignation letter, Marks wrote that Kennedy wanted “subservient confirmation of his misinformation and lies.”

He criticized Kennedy’s stance on vaccines, accusing him of undermining public confidence.

Marks, who led the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research since 2016, played a key role in authorizing Covid vaccines and spearheading Operation Warp Speed. Kennedy, an anti-vaccine activist, has questioned the safety of Covid and MMR vaccines despite scientific consensus.

  • peoplebeproblems@midwest.social
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    2 days ago

    This is bad. This is really bad. We knew it was coming, but if the FDA is dismantled to syncopats, a lot of people will die.

    Corporations will cheap out on food safety, drug safey, medical device safety, health recommendations, vaccines, research, you name it.

    Preventable disease will spread. More people will die in hospitals on life saving equipment. Any exported medications (I don’t know if that’s a thing) will have to be blocked by the receiving countries.

  • Lemmist@lemm.ee
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    2 days ago

    Europe should start to limit US citizens migration. Demand vaccine lists. Common sense tests. The EU is slow, so it is better to start now to be ready when the US will finally go totally crazy in a few years.

      • betterdeadthanreddit@lemmy.world
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        2 days ago

        Temporal anomaly, Lemmist started writing that reply in early 2020. Something about transiting would-be assassins disrupting the flow of time; eggheads in the lab call it time-bulance. It’s probably fine.

    • TrickDacy@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      We (US) don’t even have a vaccine record system to my knowledge. I’ve had many vaccines starting from birth but the only record I have in the vast majority of cases is knowing it in my head. I remember getting a few like MMR (measles mumps rubella) vaccines as a young child, but there’s almost zero chance I could prove that.

      Hell, the only reason I even know what I have gotten as an adult is I made a list a while back from memory and then confirmed what I could with doctors visit records.

      Your idea would keep me, a fully vaccinated individual, out of Europe. A place I want to escape to eventually.

      • MacAttak8@lemmy.world
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        2 days ago

        You are right that the US has no national vaccine database. However some States have their own records database. I know mine does for instance. They know all the vaccines I’ve ever had. This does depend on the doctor/provider/hospital reporting to the State that they administered you a vaccine.

        • MrQuallzin@lemmy.world
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          Correct, many states have their own databases. It was part of my job while in retail pharmacy in Oregon to check vaccination histories prior to giving them to verify they’re getting correct boosters at the right time

      • Lemmist@lemm.ee
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        2 days ago

        Your idea would keep me, a fully vaccinated individual, out of Europe. A place I want to escape to eventually.

        First, it isn’t a European problem. It is your problem.
        Second, I’m sure (not a specialist and can’t prove but still sure) that vaccination can be proved medically (just test for antibodies upon injective a minor amount of virus/bacteria)

        • TrickDacy@lemmy.world
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          Sure act like trump. That’s the solution. Next you should close your borders entirely.

          Some vaccines that may be possible but I can’t imagine it would be cheap even if you could check for the 20+ vaccines I’ve had.

          Your motivation seems to be to punish good people for Trump’s actions. Pretty fucked up, petty, pointless, and unproductive if you ask me.

          • Lemmist@lemm.ee
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            2 days ago

            The well-being of locals is much more important to me than some may-be-vaccined-or-maybe-bilogical-bomb American whiner.

            The best I can offer is a vaccination koncentrazionlager. No proof of vaccination? Behind the barbed wire off you go. Get your vaccines, wait a few weeks and, if everything is ok, go further.

            You Americans for some crazy reason think that you should be let into any place because you’re American. Many people are sick of your chauvinism. “How dare you not to let me in?! I am American!”

            Pffft.

            • Miles O'Brien@startrek.website
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              This is not “I am an American and you should let me in” it’s very much “I’m fleeing my country for political persecution please allow refugees in from this shit hole country”

              Good to know nationalism, inhumane conditions, and good old fashioned concentration camps are acceptable as long as it’s “hurting the right people”!

              • Starmancy42@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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                2 days ago

                Europeans love their hubris. Don’t count on them getting off their high horse anytime soon. They’ll laugh at us while we die. We are on our own.

                • kent_eh@lemmy.ca
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                  We are on our own.

                  Yes, America, you are.

                  Because your government is doing everything they can to isolate you from the rest of the world.

                  America is racing down the road to becoming a pariah state, and far too few of your fellow citizens are willing to do anything to even try to stop it.

                  It’s not the rest of the world’s job to save you from yourselves. We are doing what we need to do to protect ourselves from your rapidly declining country.

            • TrickDacy@lemmy.world
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              If it weren’t for your horrible shit attitude we could probably talk. But go ahead with your generalizations and assumptions. Thank God for tags in Boost

          • edric@lemm.ee
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            Actually, it’s common and standard for countries to require vaccination records to immigrate. I had the same problem when I moved, I only had paper records that my parents could no longer find. I ended up just getting all of them again at once. Insurance helped (I didn’t have to pay anything out of pocket). Also, it’s not a lot. In the US, they require around 4-5 vaccines (MMR, TDAP, HEP, varicella, and covid which they recently made optional) to pass permanent residency requirements, not all the 20 you got. I imagine EU countries require around just as much.

            • TrickDacy@lemmy.world
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              So that sounds reasonable and so I’m not sure what op was so mad about or suggesting. I thought they were also referring to visits.

              • edric@lemm.ee
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                2 days ago

                To be fair, you did say the EU was a place you eventually want to “escape to”, so people likely assumed you meant immigration, not just visiting/tourist.

                • TrickDacy@lemmy.world
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                  Which was in response to him being an absolutist. But I do see your point. Thanks for being nicer about it

            • TrickDacy@lemmy.world
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              I’m saying for those of us over 20 years old it’s probably hard or impossible to prove anything. I think it’s rather ironic that the reaction to trump being a piece of shit isolationist is to further isolate, not the government but people trying to escape it.

                • TrickDacy@lemmy.world
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                  You apparently misunderstood in two ways. I’m saying if you were vaccinated for measles in 1987 it’s unlikely you have a record of it. Not a damned thing to do with understanding. Nor did I hint that being younger was any sort of disadvantage.

          • FaceDeer@fedia.io
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            Some vaccines that may be possible but I can’t imagine it would be cheap even if you could check for the 20+ vaccines I’ve had.

            How much were you expecting your “escape” to Europe to cost?

      • courageousstep@lemm.ee
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        2 days ago

        I wish the US had a vaccine record. The only record I have of my childhood vaccines are on some 30 year old pieces of paper in a folder somewhere in my house. A national record would make me feel safer about the possibility of a house fire and losing these papers.

        I like the covid vaccine record. Somehow, those have followed me digitally between towns without me having to produce the card. More of that please.

  • Bsher8365@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    As a US citizen, I don’t say this lightly - the die has been struck and no one’s coming to save us. But you can control your own health destiny. If in the US, become familiar with the location of your nearest travel vaccine center and start getting some of the common ones as boosters. Most all produced vaccines worldwide can be had at these centers for $100-300. They usually don’t take medical insurance in my experience, but will be happy to give you most any vaccine you desire. Some insurances will reimburse some but not all expenses. I consider it an investment. Start now, getting everything that you can reasonably afford, as quickly as you can. If over 40, start with MMR (measles-mumps-rubella). Polio month after that. Then collect all the rest monthly like Pokémon cards. I believe that things are about to get high-risk/out of hand quickly, not just measles, but basically all previously eradicated diseases - and waiting until you have a locally-recognized breakout to visit your doctor to administer a booster only works if you haven’t been exposed yet.

    • atzanteol@sh.itjust.works
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      2 days ago

      This is the same logic people like Kennedy use. Talk to your doctor about whether this would be helpful or effective. Don’t just go get vaccines because “if one is good two must be better!”

      • Bsher8365@lemmy.world
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        2 days ago

        Respectfully disagree - not the same at all. It’s science proven that approved vaccines are useful for preventing infections, that’s why we have them in the first place. Kennedy’s logic is not based on science but rather false correlation and unsound intuition.

        If your area has an outbreak in anything preventable, everyone will be encouraged to go get a vaccine if never received, or a booster if already vaccinated. Nothing wrong with getting vaccines/boosters ahead of time - lots wrong with not getting them.

      • Trailblazing Braille Taser@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        This is the same logic people like Kennedy use.

        It’s not the same logic it all? It’s not a huge leap to guess that we’re about to have a measles or bird flu pandemic.

        Talk to your doctor about whether this would be helpful or effective. Don’t just go get vaccines because “if one is good two must be better!”

        Did they recommend getting non-evidence-based repeat vaccinations? It just sounded like they recommended getting vaccinations that are not commonly given to US unless they’re traveling.

        • atzanteol@sh.itjust.works
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          It’s not the same logic it al

          “Vitamin C is good for you - TAKE ALL THE VITAMIN C!”

          “Vaccines are good for you - COLLECT THEM LIKE POKEMON!”

          Did they recommend getting non-evidence-based repeat vaccinations?

          Yes: “Start now, getting everything that you can reasonably afford, as quickly as you can”

          That’s a waste of money and resources if you don’t need boosters.

          • thetreesaysbark@sh.itjust.works
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            Yes: “Start now, getting everything that you can reasonably afford, as quickly as you can”

            If you think the answer to that question is yes then I think you’ve misunderstood their point.

          • cogman@lemmy.world
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            if you don’t need boosters.

            You can always get tested to see if you need boosters. However, there’s no harm to getting a booster and if your immunity level has dropped it’s a surefire way to make sure you are protected for the next 10+ years depending on what you got boosted for.

            Nobody is saying after getting the booster that you need to continue getting boosters for the same disease. 1 is enough to hopefully outlast this admin and insanity.

            MMR, in particular, would be a very good one to get as Measles appears to be back in force.

            I haven’t gotten a booster in 20 years and I’m due. I plan on getting them all.

            • atzanteol@sh.itjust.works
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              Nobody is saying after getting the booster that you need to continue getting boosters for the same disease.

              That is exactly what the post I replied to was saying. “Get all you can afford”.

  • pixelpure@lemm.ee
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    The Trump administration has always placed its own interests ahead of science. Women’s health, the definition of race, and vaccines have all been targeted. The U.S. will continue to lose its scientific researchers for the Trump admin to promote its own agenda. Trickle down economics didn’t work, but scientific research strangulation will affect all U.S. citizens.

  • MagicShel@lemmy.zip
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    When vaccines are no longer available in the US, there will be a tourism boost from Americans going elsewhere to get them. You guys can just shift us left by helping lefties survive while conservatives self-select to be decimated by disease.

    • trevor (he/they)@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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      That isn’t how this works. Herd immunity is extremely important for people who actually can’t safely be vaccinated, but more importantly, having large populations of anti-vaxxers will create ample opportunity for the viruses to mutate into forms that we don’t necessarily have vaccines for.

      We are all truly fucked unless we deal with these scum. It’s not just going to hurt the people causing the problem, and it will spread to the rest of the world.

      • MagicShel@lemmy.zip
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        You understand what you’re saying with “deal with these scum,” right? They are the government. If they don’t outright ban vaccines, they will pull all funding of them.

        There is only one cure for a fascist government, and we aren’t desperate enough for that. Yet.

        Until then, we’ll have to work around them. Many on the left are marginalized folks. I don’t include myself there, but if anyone in this country knows how to skirt the rules to live their life, it’s them. They will lead the way.

        Underground vaccine clubs. Phrases like, “friends of Edward Jenner.” I mean it probably sounds a little more tongue in cheek than I intend. I’m not saying this will be a gay old time. I’m saying we will find ways to survive and thrive despite their best efforts, as people always have (I mean, you know, barring the occasional genocide).

        And if it becomes desperate enough to remove fascists the only way they can be, we will do that, too.

        • trevor (he/they)@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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          I don’t disagree with any of this. We just also need to be realistic about the fact that viruses have no boundaries and they don’t discern between marginalized people and fascist shitheads when they mutate and spread.

          • phdepressed@sh.itjust.works
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            That’s true too. There will be suffering, electing facists idiots kinda does that. Protecting yourself and your community of non-idiots is the best you can do. Find those vulnerable people and set up a group that can care for them vaccinated people delivering/making food and the like.

        • CosmicTurtle0@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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          I’ve been saying for years that we’re going to have a civil war. I predicted it when I was a hard line conservative and I’ve been saying now as a bleeding heart liberal.

          I was just hoping that I’d be much older when it happened.

    • yumpsuit@lemmy.world
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      Gonna stand at the US-Canadian border with my sleeve rolled up, cover myself in maple syrup, and wait for favorable winds so the Mounties’ vaccine drone can dart me

    • BagOfHeavyStones@piefed.social
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      That’s assuming other countries will still let you in. If there’s some outbreak a bit like the 'Rona again, they might say no vaccine no entry.

      • MagicShel@lemmy.zip
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        If they just forcibly vaccinate and quarantine, that would accomplish the mission. Worst vacation ever, though.

  • lobut@lemmy.ca
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    I wonder if we can come up with another set of the Bible plagues for the Trump administration because it seems like they’re trying to do it.

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    This is the “fuck around” portion. I fear for ordinary Americans when the “find out” part comes.