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A new resource for seekers of independent vaccine science is in the works. The Vaccine Integrity Project, an initiative launched by the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP), seeks to fill gaps left by recent federal changes that are altering the dissemination of scientific information, according to a press release by the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.

The project is funded by an unrestricted gift from a foundation known as Alumbra, established by philanthropist Christy Walton.

The project aligns with the CIDRAP mission to “prevent illness and death from targeted infectious disease threats through research and the translation of scientific evidence into real-world, practical applications, policies, and solutions,” according to the press release. 

At its outset, the Vaccine Integrity Project has established an eight-member steering committee to help guide clinicians in optimizing protection of the public against vaccine-preventable diseases. The committee plans to hold facilitated, information-gathering sessions in coming months to gauge with actions are needed “to ensure the integrity of the US vaccine system, including vaccine evaluations and clinical guidelines,” according to the project website.

The Steering Committee is co-chaired by Margaret Hamburg, MD, former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner and co-president of the InterAcademy Partnership, and Harvey Fineberg, MD, current president of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and past president of the US National Academy of Medicine, according to the CIDRAP press release. 

Help for Clinical Practice and Public Health

“Access to nonbiased, objective, and accurate information would be very helpful, especially in a time where public health initiatives are at risk,” said Shirin Mazumder, MD, infectious diseases specialist in Memphis, Tennessee, in an interview.

Removal of evidence-based medical information from public sources has the potential to further propagate misinformation and prevent the general public from making decisions regarding their health without all of the necessary facts, Mazumder said. “This has a great potential of harm, especially as it pertains to vaccine-preventable illnesses,” she added.

“As a physician who cares for a large population of patients living with HIV and at risk for HIV, I have concerns regarding how proposed budget cuts to essential programs, such as the Ryan White HIV/AIDS program and Ending the HIV/AIDS Epidemic Initiative, will affect patient care,” Mazumder told Medscape Medical News. “Young people, gay and bisexual men, and minority populations are disproportionately affected by HIV, and the proposed funding cuts will further marginalize this group and prevent the most vulnerable from accessing HIV education, prevention, testing, care, and treatment,” she said.

“The presence of an independent resource with no political affiliations that can serve as an objective guide to gather information from healthcare professionals, healthcare organizations, insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, and policymakers is critical to ensure that recommendations are comprehensive,” Mazumder told Medscape Medical News regarding the potential effect of the Vaccine Integrity Project.

Ideally, the feedback gathered by these different groups will assist in creating guidelines rooted in evidence-based practice and provide accurate information to help people make the best decisions pertaining to preventative healthcare, she said.

Mazumder had no relevant financial relationships.