The Food and Drug Administration has received requests from representatives in the House to release its current and future safety and efficacy data on COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics. This comes two months after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention acknowledged that it has suppressed the majority of its COVID-19 data, partly to protect the reputation of vaccines.
Representative Bill Posey of Florida and nine of his colleagues wrote FDA Commissioner Califf, stating, “The fact that the data in the FDA’s possession has remained behind an FDA firewall for more than 18 months is appalling.” The letter notes the agency unsuccessfully asked the court to gradually release Pfizer vaccine data over 55-75 years.
The federal legislators have asked the agency to “immediately” release the data for COVID products granted agency use authorization and full approval, and ongoing publication of data within 14 days of receipt by the FDA.
FDA press officer Abby Capobianco declined to answer reporters’ questions and said the agency would “respond to the representatives directly.”
