where is the logic or indeed the ethics of the autumn booster programme?
4th September 2023
Professor Wei Shen Lim and all members, Joint Committee of Vaccination and Immunisation
Rt Hon Stephen Barclay MP, Secretary of State, Department of Health and Social Care
cc Dr Camilla Kingdon, President, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
Dear Professor Lim and Mr Barclay,
re: JCVI advice for Covid-19 vaccination of healthy young adults if living with an immunocompromised household member
I, and many of my co-signatories, have written to you on several occasions since May 2021[i], when you were first deliberating over whether to recommend Covid-19 gene-based vaccines for healthy children, given the lack of any robust safety data on these new mRNA technologies and the acknowledged low impact of SARS-CoV-2 on children.
It is very gratifying to see that this autumn’s booster programme [ii] has now been dropped for almost all healthy under-65s. However, there is one group still being offered a booster that causes us serious concern, namely the offer of a booster to healthy over-12s if they have an immunocompromised household member. We set out our reasons below.
1. It is clear that Covid-19 vaccines are failing to prevent infection by or transmission of SARS-CoV-2.
2. There is now good evidence that multiple boosters actually increase the likelihood of a SARS-CoV-2 infection [iii].
3. There is good evidence of a specific rise in infection risk in the first 7-10 days after vaccination, thus putting family members at increased rather than reduced risk [iv],[v].
4. The more recent omicron variants are poorly covered by the original vaccines, but even the newer bivalent boosters generate a much lower response against the non-Wuhan sequences in the vaccines, indicative of immune imprinting [vi].
5. The potential benefit of vaccination now for healthy young adults is low, and for children is effectively zero, given the poor efficacy of the vaccines and the high prevalence of naturally-acquired immunity [vii].
6. The safety profile of these vaccines is woefully inadequate for use in a healthy low-risk population, especially children, giving a poor risk : benefit balance. The hazard of myocarditis, recognised early on as an increased risk in younger age groups [viii], has still been poorly delineated, but risks as high as 1 in 25 are reported for subclinical myocarditis in a recent study from Switzerland [ix], confirming similar findings from Thailand. Although symptoms usually resolve quickly, scarring has been demonstrated on cardiac MRI scans [x] and has been found to persist at 6-12-month follow-up [xi]. Pfizer’s own 5-year follow-up study is not due to report until 2027; likewise a large FDA-sponsored study in the US [xii].
7. Many other adverse effects have been reported and listed in our previous letters [xiii],[xiv], perhaps the most worrying of which is the deleterious effect on the immune system [xv],[xvi]. Basic pharmacokinetics of these products are only just being reported, with a paper this week, as we write, reporting findings of vaccine-derived spike protein persisting in the circulation for many months (or longer) after vaccination [xvii],[xviii]; with serious implications for prolonged effects of any vaccine injuries.
8. The issue of excess all-cause deaths in younger age groups in 2022 and 2023 has yet to be properly investigated and a link to vaccines cannot be ruled out until this is done[xix].
9. Even if there was good evidence that vaccination could protect vulnerable household contacts, there would be major ethical concerns around asking children to take a vaccine with any potential risks of harm, to protect family members. The Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights [xx] Article 4 and Article 7 make it clear that all medical interventions must be in the best interest of the individual concerned, particularly in the case of children who are not able to give consent. If a booster was in the best interests of a healthy 12-17-year-old, then surely the JCVI would be recommending it for all, but it is clear that these children are being offered the vaccine merely in a likely unsuccessful attempt to benefit other household members.
10. Whilst it may be argued that technically these products have now been approved and are therefore no longer a research tool, these ethical principles and the precautionary principle must still apply, especially since the approval itself is still based on much less evidence than would be expected for other drugs.
Please could you urgently provide the following, under a FOI request:
- minutes of the meetings at which these decisions were made;
- calculations of numbers of healthy 12-17-year-olds (and of all household members aged 12-64) needed to vaccinate to prevent the hospitalisation of one vulnerable family member;
- any legal advice taken on how these unnecessary booster doses to children comply with UK and international law.
We look forward to hearing from you as a matter of urgency before the commencement of the vaccine booster rollout to healthy 12-17-year-olds .
Yours sincerely
Dr Rosamond Jones, MD, FRCPCH, retired consultant paediatrician, convenor of CCVAC (Children’s Covid Vaccines Advisory Council) and many others….
Professor Anthony J Brookes, Professor of Genomics & Health Data Science, University of Leicester
Professor Angus Dalgleish, MD, FRCP, FRACP, FRCPath, FMedSci, Professor of Oncology, University of London; Principal, Institute for Cancer Vaccines & Immunotherapy
Professor Richard Ennos, MA, PhD. Honorary Professorial Fellow, University of Edinburgh
Professor John A Fairclough, BM BS, BMed Sci, FRCS, FFSEM(UK), Professor Emeritus, Honorary Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon
Professor David Livermore, BSc, PhD, retired Professor of Medical Microbiology
Professor Dennis McGonagle, PhD, FRCPI, Consultant Rheumatologist, University of Leeds
Professor Karol Sikora, MA, MBBChir, PhD, FRCR, FRCP, FFPM, Honorary Professor of Professional Practice, Buckingham University
Professor Roger Watson, FRCP Edin, FRCN, FAAN, Honorary Professor of Nursing, University of Hull
Professor Keith Willison, PhD, Professor of Chemical Biology, Imperial, London
Lord Moonie, MBChB, MRCPsych, MFCM, MSc, House of Lords, former parliamentary under-secretary of state 2001-2003, former consultant in Public Health Medicine
Dr Roland Salmon, MBBS, MRCGP, FFPH, former Director, Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre (Wales)
Dr Najmiah K Ahmad, BM MRCA FCARCSI, Consultant AnaesthetistDr Ali Ajaz, Consultant Psychiatrist
Dr Shiraz Akram, BDS, Dental surgeon
Dr Victoria Anderson, MBChB, MRCGP, MRCPCH, DRCOG, General Practitioner
Julie Annakin, RN, Immunisation Specialist Nurse
Wendy Armstrong, Practice Nurse
Helen Auburn, Dip ION, MBANT, NTCC, CNHC, Registered Nutritional Therapist
Dr Ancha Bala-Joof, MBChB, MRCGP, General Practitioner
Dr Michael Bazlinton, MBChB, MRCGP, DCH, General Practitioner
Dr David Bell, MBBS, PhD, FRCP(UK), Specialist in Public Health
Dr Mark A Bell, MBChB, MRCP(UK), FRCEM, Consultant in Emergency Medicine, UK
Dr Michael D Bell, MBChB, MRCGP, retired General Practitioner
Dr Ashvy Bhardwaj, MBBS, DRCOG, MRCGP (2018)
Dr Alan Black, MBBS, MSc, DipPharmMed, Retired Pharmaceutical Physician
Dr Gillian Breese, BSc, MB ChB, DFFP, DTM&H, General Practitioner
Dr Ian Bridges, MBBS, retired General Practitioner
Dr Emma Brierly, MBBS, MRCGP, General Practitioner
Mr John Bunni, MBChB (Hons), Dip Lap Surg, FRCS [ASGBI Medal], Consultant Colorectal and General Surgeon
Dr Elizabeth Burton, MB ChB, Retired General Practitioner
Dr David Cartland, MBChB, BMedSci, General practitioner
Dr Peter Chan, BM, MRCS, MRCGP, NLP, General Practitioner, Functional Medicine Practitioner
Dr Bernard Choi, MBBS, MRCGP, DCH, DRCOG, General Practitioner
Michael Cockayne, MSc, PGDip, SCPHNOH, BA, RN, Occupational Health Practitioner
Mr Ian F Comaish, MA, BM BCh, FRCOphth, FRANZCO, Consultant ophthalmologist
James Cook, BN, MPH, NHS Registered Nurse
Dr Clare Craig, BMBCh, FRCPath, Pathologist
Dr David Critchley, BSc, PhD, 32 years in pharmaceutical R&D as a clinical research scientist
Dr Sue de Lacy, MBBS, MRCGP, AFMCP UK, Integrative Medicine Doctor
Dr Christine Dewbury, retired General Practitioner
Mr Keith Dewbury, retired Consultant Radiologist
Dr Jayne Donegan, MBBS, DRCOG, DCH, DFFP, MRCGP, homeopathic practitioner, retired NHS GP
Dr Damien Downing, MBBS, MRSB, private physician
Dr Jonathan Eastwood, BSc, MBChB, MRCGP, General Practitioner
Dr Jonathan Engler, MBChB, LlB (hons), DipPharmMed
Dr Elizabeth Evans, MA(Cantab), MBBS, DRCOG, Director UKMFA
Dr Chris Exley, PhD FRSB, retired professor in Bioinorganic Chemistry
Dr Brian Fitzsimons, MBChB, DipOccMed, FRCGP, General Practitioner, Occupational Health Physician, Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Practitioner
Dr John Flack, BPharm, PhD. Retired Director of Safety Evaluation at Beecham Pharmaceuticals 1980-1989 and Senior Vice-president for Drug Discovery 1990-92 SmithKline Beecham
Dr Charles Forsyth, MBBS, FFHom, Ecological and Homeopathic Physician (Retired)
Dr Sheena Fraser, MBChB, MRCGP (2003), Dip BSLM, General Practitioner
Gayle Gerry, BSc Hons, RGN, NHS registered Nurse
Sophie Gidet, RM, Midwife
Dr Jenny Goodman, MA, MBChB, Ecological Medicine
Cheryl Grainger, BSc, Pharma Training Consultant
Dr Ali Haggett, Mental health community work, 3rd sector, former lecturer in the history of medicine
Mr David Halpin, MBBS, FRCS, Orthopaedic and trauma surgeon, retired
Alex Hicks, MEng, MCIPS, Compliance Director (Supply Chain)
Mr Anthony Hinton, MBChB, FRCS, Consultant ENT surgeon, London
Dr Richard House, PhD, CPsychol, AFBPsS, CertCouns, Chartered Psychologist, former senior lecturer in Psychology (Roehampton) and Early Childhood (Winchester), retired psychotherapist
Dr Keith Johnson, DPhil, former patents officer
Dr Timothy Kelly, MB BCh BSc, NHS doctor
Eshani King, BSc(Hons), FCA, CTA, BFP, Evidence Based Research in Immunology and Health
Dr Tanya Klymenko, PhD, FHEA, FIBMS, Senior Lecturer in Biomedical Sciences
Dr Caroline Lapworth, MB ChB, General Practitioner
Dr Branko Latinkic, BSc, PhD, Molecular Biologist
Dr Theresa Lawrie, MBBCh, PhD, Director, Evidence-Based Medicine Consultancy Ltd
Dr Jason Lester, MRCP, FRCR, Consultant Clinical Oncologist
Dr Felicity Lillingstone, IMD DHS PhD ANP, Doctor, Urgent Care, Research Fellow
Dr Nichola Ling, MBBS, MRCOG, Consultant obstetrician and digital advisor to NHS England
Katherine MacGilchrist, BSc (Hons) Pharmacology, MSc Epidemiology, CEO, Systematic Review Director, Epidemica Ltd
Dr C Geoffrey Maidment, MD, FRCP, retired consultant physician
Mr Ahmad K Malik, FRCS (Tr & Orth), Dip Med Sport, Consultant Trauma & Orthopaedic Surgeon
Dr Ayiesha Malik, MBChB, General Practitioner
Dr Kulvinder S. Manik MBChB, MRCGP, MA(Cantab), LLM, Gray’s Inn
Dr Fiona Martindale, MBChB, MRCGP, General Practitioner in out-of-hours
Julie Maxwell, MBBCh, MRCPCH, Associate Specialist Community Paediatrician
Dr Fatou Mbow, MD(Italy), MRCGP, DFFP, General Practitioner
Dr Sam McBride, BSc(Hons) Medical Microbiology & Immunobiology, MBBCh BAO, MSc in Clinical Gerontology, MRCP(UK), FRCEM, FRCP(Edinburgh), NHS Emergency Medicine & geriatrics
Kaira McCallum, BSc, retired pharmacist, Director of strategy UKMFA
Mr Ian McDermott, MBBS, MS, FRCS(Tr&Orth), FFSEM(UK), Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon
Dr Janet Menage, MA, MBChB, retired General Practitioner
Dr Franziska Meuschel, MD, ND, PhD Affiliations, IDF, BSEM, Nutritional, Environmental and Integrated Medicine
Dr Scott Mitchell, MBChB, MRCS, Associate Specialist, Emergency Medicine
Dr Alistair J Montgomery, MBChB, MRCGP, DRCOG, retired General Practitioner
Dr Alan Mordue, MBChB, FFPH, Retired Consultant in Public Health Medicine & Epidemiology
Dr David Morris, MBChB, MRCP(UK), General Practitioner
Margaret Moss, MA(Cantab), CBiol, MRSB, Director, The Nutrition and Allergy Clinic, Cheshire
Dr Claire Mottram, BSc Hons, MBChB, Doctor in General Practice
Dr Greta Mushet, MBChB, MRCPsych, retired Consultant Psychiatrist in Psychotherapy
Dr Angela Musso, MD, MRCGP, DRCOG, FRACGP, MFPC, General Practitioner
Dr Sarah Myhill, MBBS, Dip NM, Retired GP, Independent Naturopathic Physician
Dr Chris Newton, PhD, Biochemist
Dr Rachel Nicoll, PhD, Medical researcher
Tim Nike, Specialist Neurological Physiotherapist
Sue Parker Hall, CTA, MSc (Counselling & Supervision), MBACP, EMDR. Psychotherapist
Dr Dean Patterson, MBChB, FRCP. Consultant Cardiologist
Dr Christina Peers, MBBS, DRCOG, DFSRH, FFSRH, Menopause Specialist
Rev Dr William J U Philip MB ChB, MRCP, BD, Senior Minister The Tron Church Glasgow, formerly physician specialising in cardiology
Dr Angharad Powell, MBChB, BSc (hons), DFRSH, DCP (Ireland), DRCOG, DipOccMed, MRCGP, General Practitioner
Dr Gerry Quinn, PhD, Microbiologist
Dr Jessica Robinson, BSc(Hons), MBBS, MRCPsych, MFHom, Psychiatrist and Integrative Medicine Doctor
Dr Jon Rogers, MB ChB (Bristol), retired General Practitioner
Mr James Royle, MBChB, FRCS, MMedEd, Colorectal Surgeon
Dr Alison Sabine, MBChB, MRCP, Consultant Rheumatologist
Dr Charlie Sayer, MBBS, FRCR, Consultant Radiologist
Sorrel Scott, Grad Dip Phys, Specialist Physiotherapist in Neurology, 30 years in NHS
Dr Rohaan Seth, BSc (Hons), MBChB (Hons), MRCGP, Retired General Practitioner
Dr Rajendra Sharma, MBBCh, BAO, LRCP&S(Ire), MFHom, Private Doctor, Medical Director, Dr Sharma Diagnostics
Natalie Stephenson, BSc (Hons) Paediatric Audiologist
Dr Noel Thomas, MA, MBChB, DObsRCOG, DTM&H, MFHom, Retired Doctor
Dr Livia Tossici-Bolt, PhD, NHS Clinical Scientist
Dr Jannah van der Pol, iBSc, MBBS, MRCGP, General Practitioner
Dr Helen Westwood, MBChB (Hons), MRCGP, DCH, DRCOG, General Practitioner
Dr Carmen Wheatley, DPhil, Orthomolecular Oncology
Dr Samuel White, MBChB, MRCGP, Functional Medicine Specialist, former General Practitioner
Dr Ruth Wilde, MBBCh, MRCEM, AFMCP, Integrative & Functional Medicine Doctor
Dr Stephanie Williams, Dermatologist
Dr AZ, MBChB, NHS Specialty doctor
[i] https://www.hartgroup.org/open-letter-to-mhra-17-05-2021/
[ii] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-autumn-2023-vaccination-programme-jcvi-advice-26-may-2023/jcvi-statement-on-the-covid-19-vaccination-programme-for-autumn-2023-26-may-2023
[iii] Shrestha NK, Burke PC, Nowacki AS et al. Effectiveness of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Bivalent Vaccine, Open Forum Infectious Diseases 2023;10 (6): doi.org/10.1093/ofid/ofad209
[iv] Shrotri M, Krutikov M, Palmer T et al. Vaccine effectiveness of the first dose of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 and BNT162b2 against SARS-CoV-2 infection in residents of long-term care facilities in England (VIVALDI): a prospective cohort study. Lancet Infect Dis. 2021. doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(21)00289-9
[v] Bar-On YM, Goldberg Y, Micha, M et al. Protection by a Fourth Dose of BNT162b2 against Omicron in Israel, N Engl J Med 2022; 386:1712-1720. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2201570
[vi] Fujita S, Uriu K, Pan L et al. Impact of Imprinted Immunity Induced by mRNA Vaccination in an Experimental Animal Model, The Journal of Infectious Diseases, 2023;, jiad230, https://doi.org/10.1093/infdis/jiad230
[vii]https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1131409/appendix-1-of-jcvi-statement-on-2023-covid-19-vaccination-programme-8-november-2022.pdf
[viii] Oster M, mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine-Associated Myocarditis, 2022, https://www.fda.gov/media/153514/download
[ix] Buergin N, Lopez-Ayala P, Hirsiger JR et al. Sex-specific differences in myocardial injury incidence after COVID-19 mRNA-1273 booster vaccination. European Journal of Heart Failure 2023. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ejhf.2978
[x] Jain SS, Steele JM, Fonseca B et al. COVID-19 Vaccination–Associated Myocarditis in Adolescents. Pediatrics 2021; 148 (5): e2021053427. doi.org/10.1542/peds.2021-053427
[xi] Yu CK, Tsao S, Ng CW et al. Cardiovascular Assessment up to One Year After COVID-19 Vaccine-Associated Myocarditis. Circulation 2023; 148(5): 436–439. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10373639/
[xii] https://www.nymc.edu/news-and-events/news-archives/us-fda-awards-dr-supriya-jain-19-million-to-support-research-on-covid-19-vaccine-associated-myocarditis.php
[xiii] https://www.hartgroup.org/open-letter-to-the-jcvi-pause-vaccines-for-children-pending-urgent-review/
[xiv] https://www.hartgroup.org/open-letter-to-the-jcvi-2/
[xv] Uversky VN, Redwan EM, Makis W, Rubio-Casillas A.IgG4 Antibodies Induced by mRNA Vaccines Generate Immune Tolerance to SARS-CoV-2’spike Protein by Suppressing the Immune System. Vaccines 2023; 11(5): 991. https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines11050991
[xvi] Noé A, Dang TD, Axelrad C et al. BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccination in children alters cytokine responses to heterologous pathogens and Toll-like receptor agonists. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1242380. doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2023.1242380
[xvii] Castruita JAS, Schneider UV, Mollerup S et al. SARS-CoV-2 spike mRNA vaccine sequences circulate in blood up to 28 days after COVID-19 vaccination. APMIS 2023; 131: 128-132. https://doi.org/10.1111/apm.13294
[xviii] Brogna C, Cristoni S, Marino G et al.Detection of recombinant Spike protein in the blood of individuals vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2: Possible molecular mechanisms. Proteomics Clinical Applications 2023; https://doi.org/10.1002/prca.202300048
[xix] https://vigilantnews.com/post/excess-mortality-just-got-even-worse-ed-dowd-drops-alarming-new-data
[xx] https://www.unesco.org/en/legal-affairs/universal-declaration-bioethics-and-human-rights
