Dr. Paul Offit: ‘Right Now We’re Probably at the Lowest Level of Vaccine Confidence, Certainly in My Lifetime’

KEILAR Last month the ░░░░░░░░ canceled a meeting to ░░░░░░░░ the composition of flu ░░░░░░░░ for this fall s ░░░░░░░░ season They re always ░░░░░░░░ of gaming out what ░░░░░░░░ should it be so ░░░░░░░░ we can try to ░░░░░░░░ maximum protection for the ░░░░░░░░ flu vaccine You were ░░░░░░░░ to be there Do ░░░░░░░░ have any update on ░░░░░░░░ OFFIT Well I think ░░░░░░░░ meeting was canceled I ░░░░░░░░ the FDA is just ░░░░░░░░ to take this in ░░░░░░░░ and make the decision ░░░░░░░░ the transparency of an ░░░░░░░░ advisory committee I mean ░░░░░░░░ good thing about having ░░░░░░░░ group of 12 or ░░░░░░░░ experts who are independent ░░░░░░░░ the government independent of ░░░░░░░░ companies is we can ░░░░░░░░ hold the sort of ░░░░░░░░ behind a policy to ░░░░░░░░ high standard And it ░░░░░░░░ open to the public ░░░░░░░░ it s transparent And ░░░░░░░░ think you lose that ░░░░░░░░ I think when you ░░░░░░░░ the transparency I think ░░░░░░░░ public if anything becomes ░░░░░░░░ distrustful There was also ░░░░░░░░ advisory committee of immunization ░░░░░░░░ to the CDC meeting ░░░░░░░░ was canceled And I ░░░░░░░░ worry that this is ░░░░░░░░ something bigger SANCHEZ To ░░░░░░░░ point there s this ░░░░░░░░ Ipsos American Health Index ░░░░░░░░ shows that trust in ░░░░░░░░ health institutions and leaders ░░░░░░░░ divided It either declined ░░░░░░░░ never fully recovered as ░░░░░░░░ result of Covid I ░░░░░░░░ what reflections you might ░░░░░░░░ over the last five ░░░░░░░░ and what could have ░░░░░░░░ done differently whether these ░░░░░░░░ impacts might provide lessons ░░░░░░░░ only on public health ░░░░░░░░ but any steps from ░░░░░░░░ forward with outbreaks like ░░░░░░░░ measles one OFFIT Well ░░░░░░░░ re certainly right I ░░░░░░░░ that during the last ░░░░░░░░ years of this pandemic ░░░░░░░░ the first two years ░░░░░░░░ the pandemic I think ░░░░░░░░ lost the public s ░░░░░░░░ Which is ironic in ░░░░░░░░ sense that we had ░░░░░░░░ vaccine that clearly saved ░░░░░░░░ three million American lives ░░░░░░░░ there were at least ░░░░░░░░ 000 people who by ░░░░░░░░ not to get a ░░░░░░░░ lost their lives But ░░░░░░░░ think the communication I ░░░░░░░░ probably could have been ░░░░░░░░ a little more out ░░░░░░░░ the open in terms ░░░░░░░░ how policy decisions were ░░░░░░░░ made I think we ░░░░░░░░ to be humble right ░░░░░░░░ the beginning because you ░░░░░░░░ as you go And ░░░░░░░░ don t think we ░░░░░░░░ showed how we really ░░░░░░░░ need to learn as ░░░░░░░░ go We re building ░░░░░░░░ airplane while it s ░░░░░░░░ the air Maybe our ░░░░░░░░ were a little too ░░░░░░░░ And I think that ░░░░░░░░ people off So right ░░░░░░░░ we I think are ░░░░░░░░ at the lowest level ░░░░░░░░ vaccine confidence certainly in ░░░░░░░░ lifetime.”