AMA Concerned About Reports of New Commission on Vaccine Safety

WASHINGTON, D.C. — President-elect Donald Trump’s talk of reviving long-debunked claims of links between vaccines and autism has alarmed the medical profession, including the American Medical Assoc., which released a statement this week from Dr. Patrice Harris, who chairs the AMA board of trustees.

“The American Medical Association fully supports the overwhelming evidence that vaccines are among the most effective and safest interventions to both prevent individual illness and protect the health of the public,” Harris said.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a long-time vaccine skeptic, met with Trump this week and told reporters he had agreed to lead a commission on vaccine safety.

“We are deeply concerned that creating a new commission on vaccine safety would cause unnecessary confusion and adversely impact parental decision-making and immunization practices,” Harris said. “The United States has a long-standing system for ensuring the ongoing development, safety, and efficacy of vaccines. The AMA will continue its work to promote public understanding and confidence in the use of vaccines in order to prevent resurgence in vaccine-preventable illnesses and deaths.”

The AMA isn’t alone. “Vaccines have been part of the fabric of our society for decades and are the most significant medical innovation of our time,” Dr. Fernando Stein and Dr. Karen Remley of the American Academy of Pediatrics said in a statement Tuesday.