I genuinely feel bad for Vinay sometimes. He's a compassionate, professional guy with skills and knowledge I can only dream of. But he so often seems to display this cognitive dissonance- or willful blindness- that makes me want to shake him.
THEY ARE NOT MAKING MISTAKES IN GOOD FAITH, VINAY. They're cynical, corrupt pieces of garbage that know they're lying. They don't need to "rethink their narrative." Their narrative is intentional brainwashing. They have killed people as a result of self-serving policies and literally everything done afterwards is for the purpose of covering their tracks and dissembling to the public and their own conscience (when present).
Is there any behavior, Vinay, that would convince you that they are bad actors, and not just constantly making "mistakes ?"
I withdraw a lot of the criticism in this comment after having just read Vinay's companion piece on the vax today on Sensible Medicine. It has the kind of direct and unambiguous accusation that this ongoing crime deserves.
I just wish he'd stick his neck out like that more often. He has a voice many of us don't. Perhaps he will.
Idk, not saying I do, but I’ve been contemplating this one and here’s what I think:
Vinay totally knows what up. But he has something most of us don’t: A medical license. Which means he has something to protect. In that situation, in order to keep both a mic and a medical license, there’s some finessing skills. To ride the line. Do the dance. Vinay does it really well actually.
In the current climate, I’m pro vax too. I follow all the rules. I keep my mouth shut, do as I’m told and don’t ask any questions. Nobody look at me.
Kinda like the mode prisoners go into when they’re planning a break. Took me awhile to really figure it out.
Some 85 yo grandma sitting in a wheel chair and drooling is just what we should NOT preserve as these people are suffering as they are warehoused at nursing homes. Young children should be risked so these old folks-- I am 82 and run a company--can linger. NUTS!!
I would like to see studies that prove that there is even small chance of lowering transmission and at what cost.
Pfizer has not done it and I have not seen anything else. So, when doctors are criticizing cdc, they should have balls to criticize them fully and stop this “shots POTENTIALLY/ COULD/MIGHT” lower transmission.
Have studies to prove. And what what cost! Children is our future. How much more suffering they have to endure to save some old person near death from covid???
Vote. That's it. There needs to be a purge (meaning firing/dismissing) of the regulatory agencies' employees. Start fresh from the top then work their way down. They have forgotten that they are "our" employees. and we pay them.
I do agree with you, however, when's the last time FDA cleaned house? If they didn't do it for the opioid epidemic, which was years and years of blatant screw-ups and egregious decision making, this doesn't come close to that massive blunder. Although I am personally aware that two pretty senior FDAers did get let go (and one for the Aduhelm disaster), they are now consulting and/or employed by pharma. No accountability = do what's politically correct or what advances your own personal agenda (like getting a high paying pharma job).
I agree that using your vote is an answer, perhaps THE answer, but maybe even more importantly is embracing solidarity against this administration and this party. No, I’m not a fan of DJT, but if those of us reading Vinay and others like him can’t find a candidate to get behind together, we’re doomed to more of same. If you’re not sure I’m right, take a look at the dems today. From Bernie to Manchin, behind the DNC.
I don't know why people want to stand behind DJT as if he'll stand up to the FDA or CDC. He literally let Fauci run the show and didn't stand up to him. He never pushed the CDC to do the studies that needed to be done. Who did? Desantis. Desantis opened schools and banned mask mandates in them and Fauci freaking lost it and screamed at him. And RFK Jr also stands up against these institutions. We've got some strong candidates on both sides. Let's hope they'll get voted in and clean house.
Excellent points and 1000% agree - we have some GREAT Republican candidates - Please Lord let one of them, other than DJT, rise to the top. Many conservatives seem to forget that the donald allowed Fauci to run the show. And honestly, it's understandable because it's reasonable to expect the "experts" to know what they are doing. And let's face it, we were in a crisis situation. High ranking gov't employees all have agendas that are frequently in direct conflict with the Right Thing To Do. They first think "how do I want this to end/play out"...and then put things in motion to make that happen. Fauci: I'm telling people you have to mask to protect yourselves and others from a deadly disease...there's no way I can generate any objective science that counters that directive!
Lobby with your legislators for laws to restrict what the CDC and FDA can and cannot do and say without solid, independently reviewed scientific evidence.
Bureaucrats will spend half of a day following a legal prescription, but without one, they are rudderless.
One idea is for Congress to create the scientific equivalent of "Whistleblower" laws anchored on ironclad protections to the whistleblower. The idea is that an insider, lower ranked, employee could freely report malfeasance of their agency to an independent outside watchdog. Current Whistleblower laws are the purview of the Office of Inspector General (OIG), with the mission to investigate insider claims of waste, fraud and abuse in the military and other branches of the federal government.
The specialised expertise of public health and other scientific fields probably means this couldn't be properly monitored by the current OIG. Thus, a subordinate office of the OIG specializing in scientific malfeasance makes sense. I speculate that there are many ethical CDC and FDA staff who harbor reservations on the policies put forth by their agency. Remove the threat of reprisal, and we -- and the general public -- would have better insight into these corrupt organisations.
Even the mere threat of a Scientific OIG could rein in the some of the ridiculous policy recommendations of the CDC and FDA.
Otherwise, I concur with colleagues who advise "vote the bums out".
The White House, et al. does not want to correct their narratives. They want to keep everyone panicked so they can keep control. This is all purposeful. They've had plenty of evidence that their stance is misguided and incorrect; they don't care. Look at "CDC guidelines" as KJP commented when telling us the JB was going to be wearing masks again.
This is so very disturbing, and the irony is, Pharma companies have to have hard evidence to back up EVERY claim they make. Perhaps you should send the CDC a Warning Letter, Vinay! In fact, I like that idea very much!
Actually, Big Pharma fudges their numbers all the time--they don't have "hard evidence" for anything--they just lie when studies don't come out the way they want. See: "Anatomy of an Epidemic" re: Eli Lilly and Prozac, and many other neuroleptics, and "DopeSick" re: the opioid crisis. They all lie.
Will have to disagree with you on that based on my personal experience of 37 yrs in the industry in Regulatory/R&D. Not to say a few haven’t gotten away with data manipulation and outright lying, but it is not the norm. Do they market the hell out of drugs and coerce doctors to write scripts, yes. But outright data fabrication never happened on my watch. I did have to testify in federal court once for a case against a ‘clinician’ who was doing studies for pharma, and he was outright making up data from thin air. The dude shoulda plead out - ended up getting 22 years. I’m not defending the industry - but I can say that at the companies at worked at, never once saw data ‘made up’.
Interesting! I just finished re-reading “Anatomy of an Epidemic” and it never fails to infuriate me. There were many ways Eli Lilly fudged their data to eliminate the suicides and other toxic effects of Fluoxetine, and that was published in 2010. It could be that FDA just overlooks data, but I think their in bed with each other.
I’ll read that book - I’m sure I’ll find it interesting. What’s got me very disgusted these days is the medical insurance companies. Check out Marty Makary’s book-The Price We Pay-extremely well written and insanely eye opening. Read his bio - very impressive.
Thank you, Dr. Prasad! I am communicating with my patients this week about the Covid-19 XBB "booster" and Arexvy. Reading my own communication to my patients makes me reel with disappointment in our institutions, but I have many colleagues wholeheartedly recommending both shots to their whole practices. Do you think that physicians are not reading the Arexvy study and the FDA communication about serious possible adverse effects like encephalomyelitis (especially when given in conjunction with influenza vaccine) and Guillaume-Barre (which only occurred in the treatment group and not in placebo)? https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-first-respiratory-syncytial-virus-rsv-vaccine Do they not know that the endpoint for the Arexvy "vaccine" was at only 6.7 months and the endpoint was prevention of a few lower respiratory symptoms, rare in both groups. Why is direct-to-patient advertising not required to list these severe possible adverse events? When are the lawsuits going to start? I believe the first step would be to take the "vaccine" status (and therefore legal protections) away from these injections. These are not vaccines in the traditional sense of a vaccine as defined prior to CDC quietly changing the definition to accommodate the Covid shot under the dark of night. GSK is just glomming on to what Pfizer and Moderna were allowed to do previously in the name of an emergency. Apparently, no emergency is needed from here on out. How many will suffer for our lack of attention and courage?
I remember when Bernie Sanders said we should send scarce covid vaccination shots in early 2021 to nursing homes!! Vaccinate those who are dying and forget the living. Why did he say this? Because his voters are dying .
I'm really tired of this "Let's risk injury to a kid who has their entire life ahead of them so that Grandma won't catch some disease at Christmas." It's not ok, and one of the scientists pointed this out in the FDA hearings on the original Covid vaccine for kids - normally adults protect children, not the other way around. If I were Grandma I'd be livid. And when I'm a grandma, I really will be livid. Don't you EVER throw my grandchild in harms way so that I can live another year.
I have not seen any evidence (credible that is) that children have passed Covid to a teacher or a relative. What I want to see is more randomized trials on what this is doing to young moms and their babies. My daughter was mandated to get 3 vaccines in medical school in Israel. Her hubby has gotten more. How many babies are born with vax injuries due to this?
And PS - the statement “This doesn’t stop the government. See the recent statement by Deputy CDC Director that kids should get a COVID shot to protect grandma.”
Dr. Shah did nothing when he was Maine CDC director except go on TV or Zoom and read directly from the national CDC script. Taxpayer money spent on his salary was a complete waste; we could have gone directly to Walinsky and heard the exact same script. But everyone says he's a really nice guy! We know how he earned his position as Deputy Director, and is wasn't for merit.
So what is your advice for healthcare students? They don't have even an option to decline boosters. You either take it, or all of your education years and money spent are out of the window... Nursing and Medical students don't have a choice at all.
I genuinely feel bad for Vinay sometimes. He's a compassionate, professional guy with skills and knowledge I can only dream of. But he so often seems to display this cognitive dissonance- or willful blindness- that makes me want to shake him.
THEY ARE NOT MAKING MISTAKES IN GOOD FAITH, VINAY. They're cynical, corrupt pieces of garbage that know they're lying. They don't need to "rethink their narrative." Their narrative is intentional brainwashing. They have killed people as a result of self-serving policies and literally everything done afterwards is for the purpose of covering their tracks and dissembling to the public and their own conscience (when present).
Is there any behavior, Vinay, that would convince you that they are bad actors, and not just constantly making "mistakes ?"
I withdraw a lot of the criticism in this comment after having just read Vinay's companion piece on the vax today on Sensible Medicine. It has the kind of direct and unambiguous accusation that this ongoing crime deserves.
I just wish he'd stick his neck out like that more often. He has a voice many of us don't. Perhaps he will.
Idk, not saying I do, but I’ve been contemplating this one and here’s what I think:
Vinay totally knows what up. But he has something most of us don’t: A medical license. Which means he has something to protect. In that situation, in order to keep both a mic and a medical license, there’s some finessing skills. To ride the line. Do the dance. Vinay does it really well actually.
In the current climate, I’m pro vax too. I follow all the rules. I keep my mouth shut, do as I’m told and don’t ask any questions. Nobody look at me.
Kinda like the mode prisoners go into when they’re planning a break. Took me awhile to really figure it out.
I just feel sorry for the people who still believe the jab pushers.
Some 85 yo grandma sitting in a wheel chair and drooling is just what we should NOT preserve as these people are suffering as they are warehoused at nursing homes. Young children should be risked so these old folks-- I am 82 and run a company--can linger. NUTS!!
Agree 100%, and I am in my late 70s.
I would like to see studies that prove that there is even small chance of lowering transmission and at what cost.
Pfizer has not done it and I have not seen anything else. So, when doctors are criticizing cdc, they should have balls to criticize them fully and stop this “shots POTENTIALLY/ COULD/MIGHT” lower transmission.
Have studies to prove. And what what cost! Children is our future. How much more suffering they have to endure to save some old person near death from covid???
Vinay, do you have any thoughts on what your readers can do to help the white house and government agencies correct their narratives?
Vote. That's it. There needs to be a purge (meaning firing/dismissing) of the regulatory agencies' employees. Start fresh from the top then work their way down. They have forgotten that they are "our" employees. and we pay them.
I do agree with you, however, when's the last time FDA cleaned house? If they didn't do it for the opioid epidemic, which was years and years of blatant screw-ups and egregious decision making, this doesn't come close to that massive blunder. Although I am personally aware that two pretty senior FDAers did get let go (and one for the Aduhelm disaster), they are now consulting and/or employed by pharma. No accountability = do what's politically correct or what advances your own personal agenda (like getting a high paying pharma job).
I agree that using your vote is an answer, perhaps THE answer, but maybe even more importantly is embracing solidarity against this administration and this party. No, I’m not a fan of DJT, but if those of us reading Vinay and others like him can’t find a candidate to get behind together, we’re doomed to more of same. If you’re not sure I’m right, take a look at the dems today. From Bernie to Manchin, behind the DNC.
I don't know why people want to stand behind DJT as if he'll stand up to the FDA or CDC. He literally let Fauci run the show and didn't stand up to him. He never pushed the CDC to do the studies that needed to be done. Who did? Desantis. Desantis opened schools and banned mask mandates in them and Fauci freaking lost it and screamed at him. And RFK Jr also stands up against these institutions. We've got some strong candidates on both sides. Let's hope they'll get voted in and clean house.
Excellent points and 1000% agree - we have some GREAT Republican candidates - Please Lord let one of them, other than DJT, rise to the top. Many conservatives seem to forget that the donald allowed Fauci to run the show. And honestly, it's understandable because it's reasonable to expect the "experts" to know what they are doing. And let's face it, we were in a crisis situation. High ranking gov't employees all have agendas that are frequently in direct conflict with the Right Thing To Do. They first think "how do I want this to end/play out"...and then put things in motion to make that happen. Fauci: I'm telling people you have to mask to protect yourselves and others from a deadly disease...there's no way I can generate any objective science that counters that directive!
Ask really nicely and tell them they're doing a great job except for these few things and that you know they have your best interests at heart.
Also ask wolves if they need more barbecue sauce.
Lobby with your legislators for laws to restrict what the CDC and FDA can and cannot do and say without solid, independently reviewed scientific evidence.
Bureaucrats will spend half of a day following a legal prescription, but without one, they are rudderless.
80% of the legislators are already "nuts" (on both ends of the political spectrum). The other 20% are on their way to being "nuts".
Sorry. I sound like my grandpa now and I'm only (soon to be) 59......
One idea is for Congress to create the scientific equivalent of "Whistleblower" laws anchored on ironclad protections to the whistleblower. The idea is that an insider, lower ranked, employee could freely report malfeasance of their agency to an independent outside watchdog. Current Whistleblower laws are the purview of the Office of Inspector General (OIG), with the mission to investigate insider claims of waste, fraud and abuse in the military and other branches of the federal government.
The specialised expertise of public health and other scientific fields probably means this couldn't be properly monitored by the current OIG. Thus, a subordinate office of the OIG specializing in scientific malfeasance makes sense. I speculate that there are many ethical CDC and FDA staff who harbor reservations on the policies put forth by their agency. Remove the threat of reprisal, and we -- and the general public -- would have better insight into these corrupt organisations.
Even the mere threat of a Scientific OIG could rein in the some of the ridiculous policy recommendations of the CDC and FDA.
Otherwise, I concur with colleagues who advise "vote the bums out".
The White House, et al. does not want to correct their narratives. They want to keep everyone panicked so they can keep control. This is all purposeful. They've had plenty of evidence that their stance is misguided and incorrect; they don't care. Look at "CDC guidelines" as KJP commented when telling us the JB was going to be wearing masks again.
This is so very disturbing, and the irony is, Pharma companies have to have hard evidence to back up EVERY claim they make. Perhaps you should send the CDC a Warning Letter, Vinay! In fact, I like that idea very much!
Actually, Big Pharma fudges their numbers all the time--they don't have "hard evidence" for anything--they just lie when studies don't come out the way they want. See: "Anatomy of an Epidemic" re: Eli Lilly and Prozac, and many other neuroleptics, and "DopeSick" re: the opioid crisis. They all lie.
Will have to disagree with you on that based on my personal experience of 37 yrs in the industry in Regulatory/R&D. Not to say a few haven’t gotten away with data manipulation and outright lying, but it is not the norm. Do they market the hell out of drugs and coerce doctors to write scripts, yes. But outright data fabrication never happened on my watch. I did have to testify in federal court once for a case against a ‘clinician’ who was doing studies for pharma, and he was outright making up data from thin air. The dude shoulda plead out - ended up getting 22 years. I’m not defending the industry - but I can say that at the companies at worked at, never once saw data ‘made up’.
Interesting! I just finished re-reading “Anatomy of an Epidemic” and it never fails to infuriate me. There were many ways Eli Lilly fudged their data to eliminate the suicides and other toxic effects of Fluoxetine, and that was published in 2010. It could be that FDA just overlooks data, but I think their in bed with each other.
I’ll read that book - I’m sure I’ll find it interesting. What’s got me very disgusted these days is the medical insurance companies. Check out Marty Makary’s book-The Price We Pay-extremely well written and insanely eye opening. Read his bio - very impressive.
Ugh, *they’re! [my biggest pet peeve, and here I am guilty of it!]
Jha, Sha, blah blah blah. Disgusting to see that little has changed.
Thank you, Dr. Prasad! I am communicating with my patients this week about the Covid-19 XBB "booster" and Arexvy. Reading my own communication to my patients makes me reel with disappointment in our institutions, but I have many colleagues wholeheartedly recommending both shots to their whole practices. Do you think that physicians are not reading the Arexvy study and the FDA communication about serious possible adverse effects like encephalomyelitis (especially when given in conjunction with influenza vaccine) and Guillaume-Barre (which only occurred in the treatment group and not in placebo)? https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-first-respiratory-syncytial-virus-rsv-vaccine Do they not know that the endpoint for the Arexvy "vaccine" was at only 6.7 months and the endpoint was prevention of a few lower respiratory symptoms, rare in both groups. Why is direct-to-patient advertising not required to list these severe possible adverse events? When are the lawsuits going to start? I believe the first step would be to take the "vaccine" status (and therefore legal protections) away from these injections. These are not vaccines in the traditional sense of a vaccine as defined prior to CDC quietly changing the definition to accommodate the Covid shot under the dark of night. GSK is just glomming on to what Pfizer and Moderna were allowed to do previously in the name of an emergency. Apparently, no emergency is needed from here on out. How many will suffer for our lack of attention and courage?
I remember when Bernie Sanders said we should send scarce covid vaccination shots in early 2021 to nursing homes!! Vaccinate those who are dying and forget the living. Why did he say this? Because his voters are dying .
I'm really tired of this "Let's risk injury to a kid who has their entire life ahead of them so that Grandma won't catch some disease at Christmas." It's not ok, and one of the scientists pointed this out in the FDA hearings on the original Covid vaccine for kids - normally adults protect children, not the other way around. If I were Grandma I'd be livid. And when I'm a grandma, I really will be livid. Don't you EVER throw my grandchild in harms way so that I can live another year.
I have not seen any evidence (credible that is) that children have passed Covid to a teacher or a relative. What I want to see is more randomized trials on what this is doing to young moms and their babies. My daughter was mandated to get 3 vaccines in medical school in Israel. Her hubby has gotten more. How many babies are born with vax injuries due to this?
And PS - the statement “This doesn’t stop the government. See the recent statement by Deputy CDC Director that kids should get a COVID shot to protect grandma.”
Wonder if Jill Biden is just an outlier? 🤭
Dr. Shah did nothing when he was Maine CDC director except go on TV or Zoom and read directly from the national CDC script. Taxpayer money spent on his salary was a complete waste; we could have gone directly to Walinsky and heard the exact same script. But everyone says he's a really nice guy! We know how he earned his position as Deputy Director, and is wasn't for merit.
So what is your advice for healthcare students? They don't have even an option to decline boosters. You either take it, or all of your education years and money spent are out of the window... Nursing and Medical students don't have a choice at all.
Is it time for doctors to reject the corporate-captured duopoly and seek 3rd party and grassroots solutions to our problems?
Dr. PRASAD, PLEASE OPEN THIS PDF AND READ.
https://www.texmed.org/uploadedFiles/Current/2016_Public_Health/Infectious_Diseases/310760-COVIDJustTheFACTS-Flyer.pdf
This appears to be is an embarrassingly unscientific flyer without one scientific reference. What are your suggestions to shine light on this?