Submitted by Julie Steenhuysen and Chad Terhune
(Reuters). US government lawyers have tried to prevent the skeptic who is appointed by the Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, the junior, without behaving in the centers of control and prevention of the disease that could be used to limit the possibilities of accessing the Covid -19 shots, two sources familiar with the issue.
Recense Levi, professor of operations management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is an external adviser to the government for vaccines. He was raised to the head of the working group with the CDC on August. Immunization of Kovid.
At the same time, the new rules published by the CDC would allow him to appoint other members of the commission, set out work priorities and form recommendations on who should receive the Covid-19 vaccines. Eventually, the Kennedy Underworker received those new powers.
The lawyers of the Department of Health and Human Services “expressed legal concerns” because of the expanded volume and Levi’s over -role in the group and suggested that government officials would narrow its competence to topics that are in the CDC mission, “
Lawyers feared that the Levi mandate would violate the Federal Advisory Committee Act, which regulates how advisory groups operate in the Federal Government. According to this federal law, the lawyers wrote, CDC “and supervises the responsibility to define agendas, scope and membership of the topics in question”, not the chairwoman of the working group, who in this case is Levi.
Lawyers challenge Kennedy Advisor
Levi publicly stated that government lawyers tried to narrow their work so that the group would prevent the topics from dealing with vaccine -related injuries.
“I couldn’t agree,” he told August 31. Interview with journalist Maryanne Demasi. “As it turns out, they are wrong because it is our scope, and now we are going to examine these problems.”
After all, the HHS Legal Advisor’s concern was not resolved, and federal lawyers did not approve the final rules announced on August 20, according to August 25. The Exchange of Lawyers and Federal Health Officials, which was read by Reuters.
Levi filed a request to comment on HHS. Andrew Nixon, a spokesman for Reuters HHS, said all legal concerns were resolved.
The Covid-19 working group is just an advisory, and CDC/HHS officials keep responsibility for scope, membership and agendas. We are convinced that our process is legally justified, ”Nixon said.
Previously, the role of LEVI’s lawyers and the scope of his working group were not reported.
Concern about access to vaccines
This step is the latest Kennedy that this year has been duties, an example of Kennedy taking vaccine policy, that this year, according to critics, it will be harder for Americans to get protective immunization from the main diseases.
The CDC was thrown into chaos after director Susan Monarez August. Was removed, so the three best CDC officials resigned from what they described as a threat to the agency’s scientific independence.
Levi shares Kennedy’s view that MRNA vaccines widely used during Covidide pandemic can cause serious damage and death and urged them to remove them from the market. Their position is contrary to research showing that shots have reduced Covido’s death and complications, and serious damage has been extremely rare.
For the first time in June, Levi Was published as a member of the CDC External Advisory Council, which provides recommendations on how vaccines should be given to the Americans. Then, in August, Levi was chosen to lead the vaccine board working group due to Covida immunization.
The Covid Working Group rules describes the ambitious set of Levi topics. They include a study of theories often encouraged by the Covidian vaccine skeptics that MRNA shots may be contaminated with DNA or allow coronavirus spike protein to remain in a vaccine person’s body.
Possible legal challenges
Health experts say such issues related to vaccine safety should take the food and medicine administration responsible for assessing the safety and effectiveness of vaccines and decide which shots are approved by the US market.
“What they have done disrupts the process and procedures … who have been well done and traditionally used – it all supports predetermined ideologies,” said Dr. Gregory Loland, a vaccine expert who served in previous CDC vaccine advisory groups.
External law experts say that the HHS lawyer’s advice on attention can be caused by the court’s challenges and impair the recommendations made by the Board of Vaccination Board that are planned to be considering this week to consider Covido.
“You want to ensure that you set agendas and make decisions in a way that is in line with the Statute. This is a legal risk if you are fighting laws,” said Richard Hughes, Epstein Becker Green, a Washington, partner in Washington.
Hughes is the main adviser in the application in July, arguing that Kennedy’s decision to remove the Covido vaccine from the CDC immunization schedule for children and pregnant women.
(Julie Steenhuysen Reports in Chicago and Chad Terhune Los Angeles; Edited by Michele Gershberg and Michael Learmonth)