Another medical expert issued a severe warning against vaccinating children for COVID-19. At Tuesday's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Advisory Committee Meeting, Chemist Dr. Brian Dressen, Ph.D., urged panel members, "Please do not give this [COVID-19] vaccine to kids." The committee ultimately endorsed Pfizer's EUA COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11, despite strong objections raised by many doctors, scientists, and researchers during the eight-hour meeting. He advised the panel that the Pfizer inoculation:
"Failed any reasonable risk-benefit calculus in connection with children."
Multiple experts, including Yale Professor Dr. Harvey Risch, share Dressen's concerns and have repeatedly argued that the risks in giving COVID-19 vaccines to children clearly outweigh the benefits. Notably, the natural immune system of children could be altered by the vaccines, which are still in a clinical trial.
The risk of COVID-19 in children is extremely low. Based on CDC data presented during the panel meeting, among children 5 to 12 years of age, there have been approximately 1.8 million confirmed and reported COVID cases since the beginning of the pandemic, and only 143 COVID-related deaths in the U.S. through Oct. 14. In this same age group, there were 8,622 COVID-related hospitalizations through Sept. 18.
Dressen, a Utah father whose wife Brianne suffered significant neurological damage after participating in the AstraZeneca clinical trial in 2020, has an extensive background in researching and evaluating the degree of efficacy in new technologies. He told the advisory panel:
"Your decision is being rushed, based on incomplete data from underpowered trials, insufficient to predict rates of severe and long-lasting adverse reactions. I urge the committee to reject the EUA [Emergency Use Authorization] modification and direct Pfizer to perform trials that will decisively demonstrate that the benefits outweigh the risks for children. I understand firsthand the impact that you will or will not have with the decision you're going to make today."
Dressen revealed to the FDA panel the scope of his wife's critical injuries while participating in the AstraZeneca trial last November. He indicated that since the injury last November, his family's life had changed forever. Elaborated on Brianne's experience, he explained:
"Because study protocol requires two doses, she was dropped from the trial, and her access to the study app deleted. Her reaction is not described in the recently released clinical trial report—266 participants are described as having an adverse event leading to discontinuation, with 56 neurological reactions tallied."
Brianne Dressen said she will not vaccinate her children because she is still suffering from side effects she said came on from being a participant in the AstraZeneca vaccine trial a year ago. (Photo: Brianne Dressen)
Since her injury, Dressen and his wife (who have said their kids will not receive a COVID-19 vaccine) have met with participants in other clinical trials—including Pfizer's trial for 12 to 15-year-old children—who also suffered similar reactions and outcomes. They formed a support group and website called C19 Vax Reactions for those injured by COVID-19 vaccines to share their experiences. Dressen told the panel:
"Injured support groups are growing. Memberships number into at least the tens of thousands. We must do better. Those injured in a trial are a critical piece of vaccine safety data. They are being tossed aside and forgotten. The FDA has known first-hand about her case and thousands of others. The FDA has also stated that their own systems are not identifying this issue and that VAERS is not designed to identify any multi-symptom signals. The system is broken."
Extremely concerned that the clinical trials are not "appropriately evaluating the data," Dressen's message to the FDA is fundamental. He urged that until we "appropriately care for those already injured, acknowledge the full scope of injuries that are happening to adults, please do not give this to kids. You have a very clear responsibility to appropriately assess the risks and benefits to these vaccines. It is obvious that isn't happening." He added:
"The clinical trials are not appropriately evaluating the data. The FDA, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the drug companies continue to deflect the persistent and repeated cries for help and acknowledgment, leaving the injured as collateral damage.
I do not wish this nightmare on my worse enemy, let alone a child. The suffering of thousands continues to repeatedly fall on deaf ears at the FDA. Each of you hold a significant responsibility today and know that without a doubt, when you approve this for the 5-11-year old's, you are signing innocent kids and uninformed parents to a fate that will undoubtedly rob some of them of their life."
The FDA is evaluating the endorsement following Tuesday's Advisory Committee Meeting. A decision is expected in a matter of days. A CDC vaccine advisory group is expected to recommend including young children in the ongoing clinical trial by approving the EUA vaccine for kids 5 to 11 years old sometime next week. If approved by CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, the agency would encourage young kids to get the shot immediately.
