Category: Covid-19

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FIRST ON FOX: Republican senators are invoking a statute to force Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra to provide answers to several outstanding inquiries about COVID-19's origins and vaccine safety.

"We write regarding the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) complete disregard for transparency, Congressional oversight, and the publics right to know," wrote Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., in a letter on Tuesday also signed by Sens. James Lankford, R-Okla., Josh Hawley, R-Mo., Rick Scott, R-Fla., and Roger Marshall, R-Kan.

HOUSE GOP WILL SUE DOJ NEXT WEEK TO GET BIDEN-HUR AUDIO TAPES, JOHNSON SAYS

Sen. Ron Johnson, left, led several Republicans in invoking a statute requiring HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra to respond to outstanding inquiries. (Getty Images)

The lawmakers announced they were invoking a federal statute which requires executive agencies to "submit any information requested of it relating to any matter within the jurisdiction of the committee" when prompted by five members of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (HSGAC).

The letter states that the senators on HSGAC have written to HHS and its sub-agencies on several occasions with questions regarding the COVID-19 virus and pandemic and its origins.

"Rather than provide comprehensive and thorough responses to requests from members of this Committee, HHS has opted to either ignore letters from duly elected U.S. senators, or provide incomplete responses," the senators said.

SUPREME COURT RULES ON CHALLENGE TO BIDEN ADMINS EFFORT TO INFLUENCE SOCIAL MEDIA

A nurse fills a syringe with the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)

Eleven specific outstanding requests are highlighted by Johnson, which he noted HHS should prioritize. Each relates to either the origins of the COVID-19 virus or the safety of its vaccines. The outstanding requests date back as far as 2020.

Responses to the prioritized requests are expected by the senators from Becerra by July 12.

HERE'S WHAT TOO MANY FEDERAL AGENCIES DON'T UNDERSTAND ABOUT THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY

HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra has not provided complete answers to the lawmakers, they say. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

"HHSs indifference and lack of responsiveness threatens our ability to fulfill our Constitutional oversight responsibility," the lawmakers claimed in the letter.

According to the Republicans, "HHSs refusal to provide the requested records over the last three years clearly demonstrates a full-fledged cover-up."

"What are you and your sub-agencies hiding?" they asked.

NEW DETAILS EMERGE ABOUT OBAMA, BIDEN SECRET 2024 MEETINGS

Sen. Ron Johnson has pressed HHS repeatedly for information on vaccine safety and COVID origins. (Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The senators also warned HHS and Becerra against non-compliance with the statutory request, saying, "HSGAC Republicans are taking note of HHSs and your legal infractions and fully intend to hold you and your colleagues accountable using any means at our disposal."

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The lawmakers are capable of using subpoena power to compel Becerra to speak to their questions, requesting transcribed interviews, or even attempting to hold him in contempt of Congress. However, with Democrats currently holding a majority in the Senate, it's unlikely that a contempt of Congress resolution would pass.

A spokesperson for HHS told Fox News Digital, "HHS has received the letter and will respond directly to the Senators."

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GOP senators invoke statute to force HHS answers on COVID origins: 'Full-fledged cover-up' - Fox News

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Doctors are blaming long-haul COVID for some cases of the postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. Experts said POTS is a disfunction of the nervous system, similar to chronic pain and fatigue.

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POTS and COVID-19. How are they linked? - CBS News

Another COVID-19 outbreak in the correctional system, as SF County Jail is seeing a spike with 42 prisoners currently infected, though the highest numbers of infections are being reported at the County Jail No. 3 facility which is in San Bruno.

Its no secret that these are troubled times at San Francisco County Jail. In April, two SF County Jail facilities were placed on lockdown amidst a rash of attacks on deputies. SF Sheriff Paul Miyamoto blamed the violence on severe staffing shortages, while the deputy sheriffs union demanded the city call in the National Guard and deploy them in our jails. (Which did not happen.)

But now more headaches literally at SF County Jail, as Bay City News reports theres been a COVID outbreak at County Jail facilities over the last week. According to a Tuesday statement from the Sheriff's Office, 42 incarcerated people are confirmed to have the virus. The highest number of infections is being reported at County Jail No. 3 in San Bruno, though the office did not break down case count by facility.

This is consistent with the summer COVID surge currently being seen around the Bay Area, and really, all over the country.

Jail staff began seeing an uptick in COVID cases last Thursday, June 20th, and took immediate steps to test and separate infected individuals from the rest of the population, the SF Sheriffs Office said in a statement. High-risk patients will now have COVID testing ordered regularly.

There have been no deaths or hospitalizations related to the outbreak, according to the Chronicle. But prisoner advocates and attorneys are still crying foul over the latest crisis at the facilities.

This COVID outbreak will add more time and trauma for those in jail, further delay justice proceedings, and create even higher caseloads for our attorneys, SF Public Defender Mano Raju said in a statement to the Chronicle.

For their part, the SF Sheriff's Office says they will ramp up the wearing of N-95 or KN-95 masks, and perform testing more regularly. But looking at the bigger picture, the CDC says that COVID cases are currently growing or likely growing in 39 states nationwide, while declining in precisely zero states.

Related: Yet Another COVID Uptick Hitting California, and the Bay Area Is Seeing the Worst of It [Joe]

Image: Kevin Y. via Yelp

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COVID Outbreak at SF County Jail, More Than 40 Prisoners Infected - SFist

Photo by Dado Ruvic/ Reuters

WASHINGTON (AP) The Supreme Court on Wednesday sided with the Biden administration in a dispute with Republican-led states over how far the federal government can go to combat controversial social media posts on topics including COVID-19 and election security.

By a 6-3 vote, the justices threw out lower-court rulings that favored Louisiana, Missouri and other parties in their claims that officials in the Democratic administration leaned on the social media platforms to unconstitutionally squelch conservative points of view.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett wrote for the court that the states and other parties did not have the legal right, or standing, to sue.

LISTEN: Supreme Court seems to favor Biden administration in case on combatting social media posts

Justices Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Clarence Thomas dissented.

The case is among several before the court this term that affect social media companies in the context of free speech. In February, the court heard arguments over Republican-passed laws in Florida and Texas that prohibit large social media companies from taking down posts because of the views they express. In March, the court laid out standards for when public officials can block their social media followers.

The cases over state laws and the one that was decided Wednesday are variations on the same theme, complaints that the platforms are censoring conservative viewpoints.

The states had argued that White House communications staffers, the surgeon general, the FBI and the U.S. cybersecurity agency are among those who applied "unrelenting pressure" to coerce changes in online content on social media platforms.

But the justices appeared broadly skeptical of those claims during arguments in March and several worried that common interactions between government officials and the platforms could be affected by a ruling for the states.

READ MORE: Supreme Court rules public officials can sometimes be sued for blocking critics on social media

The Biden administration underscored those concerns when it noted that the government would lose its ability to communicate with the social media companies about antisemitic and anti-Muslim posts, as well as on issues of national security, public health and election integrity.

The Supreme Court had earlier acted to keep the lower-court rulings on hold. Justices Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Clarence Thomas would have allowed the restrictions on government contacts with the platforms to go into effect.

Free speech advocates had urged the court to use the case to draw an appropriate line between the government's acceptable use of the bully pulpit and coercive threats to free speech.

A panel of three judges on the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had ruled earlier that the Biden administration had probably brought unconstitutional pressure on the media platforms. The appellate panel said officials cannot attempt to "coerce or significantly encourage" changes in online content. The panel had previously narrowed a more sweeping order from a federal judge, who wanted to include even more government officials and prohibit mere encouragement of content changes.

The case is Murthy v. Missouri, 23-411.

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Supreme Court sides with Biden administration over COVID-era social media dispute - PBS NewsHour

The Tulsa Health Department said taking precautions is key with more people traveling and congregating inside because of the summer heat.

Wednesday, June 26th 2024, 5:34 am

By: News On 6

Recent data from the State Health Department shows Tulsa County is among the highest areas of transmission in the state for COVID-19.

The Tulsa Health Department said taking precautions is key with more people traveling and congregating inside because of the summer heat.

Some of the COVID-19 variants of interest are KP.1 and KP.2. Both are underneath the omicron linage. Symptoms of the variants are similar to getting the cold or flu.

Health experts encourage the public to wash their hands, stay up to date on their COVID-19 vaccinations, and stay home if you're not feeling well.

Epidemiologist Ashley Bailey with Tulsa Health Department said KP.1 and KP.2 variants are like other strains of COVID-19.

Very similar because it's underneath the omicron variant. Theres no specific mutations that were seeing that will cause a more severity of illness. The good news is that with COVID-19, regardless of the variant or lineage that we see the variant come across, prevention methods are the same," Bailey said.

The TulsaHealth Department has community resource members out educating the public on how they can best protect themselves.

Bailey encourages people to pay closer attention to people younger or older in age because they tend to have the greater impact from the virus.

Continued here:

Local Health Leaders Advise Public To Take Precautions Against COVID As Summer Travel Increases - News On 6

The class action lawsuit claimed that the university broke their contract when they sent students home when COVID-19 broke out.

MACON, Ga. A federal judge in Macon dismissed a class-action lawsuit last week claiming Mercer University broke its contract with students when it sent students homeduring the COVID-19 pandemic

A lawsuit brought by students claimed Mercer broke their contract and unjustly enriched themselves over the university's handling of the pandemic. They claimed there was an "implied agreement" that classes would be in person that the university then broke.

But on all fronts, federal judge Tillman Self found Mercer could suspend instruction and move classes online and rejected the group of students' lawsuit arguing the university owed them a refund on tuition and fees.

The lawsuit was brought by student Mary Koerner along with other students. They argued that Mercer's promotional material mentions how "student life goes beyond the classroom" in terms of academic and extracurricular options, and in Koerner's case, those arguments were part of why she decided to attend Mercer, the lawsuit says.

Plus, she pointed to the course catalog's listing of in-person instruction and mandatory fees covering in-person lab and facilities fees.

The suit was filed in the U.S. Middle District of Georgia back on March 11.

But in response to Mercer's motion to throw the lawsuit out, Self said Koerner and her attorney's arguments didn't have any basis.

While Koerner pointed to another class action lawsuit against Mercer that was not thrown out, Self found that the new legal guidance from the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals which the U.S. Middle District must follow changed the legal landscape.

"Due to the binding Eleventh Circuit precedent, the Court agrees with Mercer: As a matter of law, even if the contract implied obligated Mercer to provide in-person services, that very same contract also permitted Mercer to amend its procedures in the event of an emergency like the COVID-19 pandemic," Self wrote.

In short, Mercer's student catalog says that the university can "change its rules affecting the admission and retention of students" when needed and another policy allowed the university to respond "to a broad range of major emergencies that may threaten life, health and safety" of students.

Mercer claimed that gave the university the ability to suspend instruction and, in looking to the case against Miami University, Self agreed.

Even if Mercer's agreement with the student implied in-person instruction and an in-person student experience, those two policies allowed the university to suspend the instruction when COVID hit, Self ruled.

Plus, he didn't find the students' claim that the mandatory fees were intended to cover in-person services.

"In sum, Plaintiff never offered any facts to show what the $150 fee actually covered. Rather, she simply listed what she assumed they covered and that is not enough," Self wrote.

So even if the facts Koerner laid out were true, they would not be enough for her to prevail, Self ruled. Because of that, Self tossed the lawsuit out and found in Mercer's favor.

More:

A lawsuit over Mercer's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic dismissed by federal judge. Here's why - 13WMAZ.com

Study participants

The research protocol of this study was approved by University of Louisville Institutional Review Board (IRB Number 20.1154). All research was performed in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and the relevant guidelines/regulations of the IRB. Informed consent was obtained from all participants. Participants were enrolled from the Travel Clinic of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Louisville and the University of Louisville Health Hospitals in Louisville, Kentucky. The Travel Clinic offered COVID-19 PCR testing required prior to international travel, testing for employees of local businesses that required a negative test result prior to returning to their workplace, and for patients requiring a negative PCR test prior to an out-patient surgical procedure. The majority of recruited participants from the Travel Clinic did not exhibit any symptoms of COVID-19 infection and most of the participants were COVID-19 negative from PCR test. Subjects recruited at the hospitals were patients most with mild COVID-19 symptoms and also subjects with trauma and an incidental SARS-CoV-2 positive test. Written informed consent was obtained from each participant. All participants were tested for SARS-CoV-2 using RT-PCR from nasopharyngeal swab samples. Adult patients aged 18 or over were recruited for the study. Both symptomatic and asymptomatic subjects were included. COVID-19 negative subjects were recruited from the Travel Clinic.

A novel silicon microreactor (Fig. S1) was used to capture carbonyl compounds in breath and then the captured compounds were analyzed by ultra high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS). Exhaled breath samples were collected in 1L Tedlar bags (Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, MO) based on our previous study28,29. The silicon microreactor was fabricated using microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology and the device has been characterized for analyzing carbonyl compounds in exhaled breath28. Subjects were instructed to breathe directly into a Tedlar bag through the mouthpiece connected to the bag. A 1L breath sample of a mixture of tidal and alveolar breath was collected. After collection, the mouthpiece was disconnected, disinfected, and then disposed. The Tedlar bag was sealed with the attached valve and placed in a biohazard bag inside a cooler at 4C before transporting to a BioSafety Level 2 Laboratory (BSL-2) for processing and analysis. A nasopharyngeal swab sample for RT-PCR was also collected to test the SARS-CoV-2.

Between March and December 2021, a cohort of subjects with an age range of 1882years were recruited for the study. In Louisville, Kentucky, the Alpha variant of SARS-CoV-2 was dominant reported by the City Health Office during the study period between March and June 2021, so subjects recruited during that period of COVID-19 were attributed to the Alpha wave. The Delta variant was dominant between July and December 202130. Thus, subjects recruited during that period of COVID-19 were attributed to the Delta wave.

All breath samples were transferred to the BSL-2 laboratory in the Division of Infectious Diseases Laboratory at the University of Louisville within 2h of collection for processing. Breath samples were left at ambient temperature for 5min and then evacuated through the silicon microreactors at a flow rate of 7mL/min to achieve above 90% capture efficiencies of carbonyl compounds. The silicon microreactor has thousands of triangular micropillars as shown in Fig. S1 (Supporting Information). The fabrication of silicon microreactors is described in a recent publication28. The surfaces of the channels and micropillars in the microreactors are functionalized with 2-(aminooxy)ethyl-N,N,N-trimethylammonium triflate (ATM) for capture of aldehydes and ketones via oximation reactions. Tedlar bags were connected to the silicon microreactors through deactivated silica tubes. Breath samples were evacuated from the Tedlar bag through the microreactors, then through HEPA filter, and finally through a 75% alcohol in water impinge before entering into air in a BSL-2 hood to avoid contaminations. Detailed characterization of the silicon microreactors and processing of breath samples were reported elsewhere28.

After the breath sample in the Tedlar bag had been completely evacuated through the microreactors, the ATM reacted adducts were eluted from the microreactor using 200 L methanol. ATM-acetone-d6 adduct (5109mol) was added as an internal reference (IR) to the eluted samples. Then, the sample was diluted with water by a factor of 10 for analysis. After processing, all materials including tubes and Tedlar bags were decontaminated according to the laboratory standard procedure for biohazardous waste disposal. The samples were analyzed using a Thermo Scientific UHPLC-MS system equipped with an automatic sampler, a Vanquish UHPLC and a Q Exactive Focus Orbitrap Mass Spectrometer (MS). The UHPLC had an ACQUITY BEH phenyl column (2.1mm100mm, 1.7m, Waters, MA, USA) for the separation of ATM-carbonyl adducts. The liquid flow rate through the column was set to 0.2mL/min. The column temperature was stabilized at 30C. The autosampler tray temperature was set at 8C. 5L of sample volume was injected into the column. The mobile phase A was 0.1% formic acid in water, and mobile phase B was acetonitrile. The mass spectrometer was operated in positive electron spray ionization (ESI) mode with a spray voltage of 3.5kV. Nitrogen was used as sheath, auxiliary, and sweep gas at flow rates of 49, 12, and 2 (arbitrary units), respectively. Full MS mode with the mass range (m/z) from 50 to 500 with a resolution of 70,000 was used to process the breath samples. For MS/MS analyses, a parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) method was used by MS. Chromatographic separation conditions were set via a gradient elution program28. The total chromatographic runtime was 11min. A total of 34 carbonyl compounds were detected for all breath samples and compound concentrations were calculated by comparison of each compound peak area with that of the IR in each breath sample UHPLC-MS chromatogram, including saturated ketones and aldehydes, hydroxy-aldehydes, unsaturated 2-alkenals, and 4-hydroxy-2-alkenals28. A total of 56 features including the 34 carbonyl compound concentrations and 22 derived features of compound ratios and summations including the sum of formaldehyde, acetaldehyde and acetone, the sum of all other carbonyl compounds (OT) and ratios of acetone to butanone were used for statistical analysis (Table S1). Data acquisition and processing were carried out using Thermo Scientific Xcaliber version 4.4. For chemical structure identification of the majority of detected carbonyl compounds, ATM adduct standards were synthesized in-house and used for comparison of retention times and MS/MS spectra28.

There are many classification methods, which include generalized partial least squares, support vector machines, random forests, and logistic regression model to classify the patients into disease and control groups based on breath analysis data31. Prediction (classification) methods involve structured categorical outcome and multiple structured or unstructured covariates32,33. There are no models suited for every condition. Therefore, it is important to identify a good model which takes into account sequential structured covariates for the prediction. Furthermore, the proper identification of key carbonyl compounds through statistical and machine learning techniques requires further advances.

In a typical breath sample analysis, the molecular concentration data on several hundred(s) of endogenous and exogenous VOCs are usually obtained. For the detected VOCs, it may not be required to use all VOCs for the patient classification or the predictive model building process (i.e., training the machine learning models and later use them for class label predictions). Therefore, it is pertinent to select/identify a few metabolic VOCs related to COVID-19 as key features for COVID-19 detection. The selection of key features (here metabolic VOCs) out of many VOCs is called feature selection in machine learning34. Further, it is essential to determine the number of significant VOCs (e.g., feature size or dimension of VOC data), which can be used in the training of the classification model to predict the class type of COVID-19 patients. The selection of significant VOCs saves time for all VOCs present in the breath samples. Thus, the researchers can focus on a few VOCs instead of generating data on all the VOCs present in breath samples of the patients.

The data was first normalized using logarithm (log2) method and then a t-test was used for continuous variables and chi-square test was used for categorical variables35. A p-value less than 0.05 defines statistically significant difference at a 95% confidence interval. All calculations were performed with SAS statistical software36. A logistic regression model was employed for both univariable and multivariable regressions. After the logarithm and quantile methods to normalize the data, it is no longer non-linear. The multivariable logistic prediction model is the most robust one especially when there are less covariates32. The model performance was evaluated by the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve with area under the ROC curve (AUC), accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV). Boxplots were used to visualize the differences between COVID-19 positive and negative groups. A random section of about 67% of samples was used for the training dataset and 33% of samples for testing dataset for all logistic regression models.

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Detection of COVID-19 by quantitative analysis of carbonyl compounds in exhaled breath | Scientific Reports - Nature.com

Earlier this month Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach sued pharma giant Pfizer alleging, Pfizer misled the public that it had a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine.

Now, another four US states are joining the alliance to rub the lawsuit on Pfizer's face.

Following the Consumer Protection Act drama, Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took X (formerly Twitter) to slam Pfizer as the state seeking civil monetary penalties, damages, and injunctive relief from misleading and deceptive statements made in marketing its COVID-19 vaccine.

RFK Jr. wrote in his post, Five states Texas, Utah, Kansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana suing Pfizer for knowing and concealing the vaccine causing myocarditis, pericarditis, failed pregnancies and deaths. Thats 10% of US states.

The tide is turning.

ALSO READ| Robert F Kennedy Jr hails Julian Assange's release, calls him a generational hero

Kobach alleged that the pharmaceutical giant concealed and omitted information about the COVID-19 vaccine, which is most egregious in terms of its safety for pregnant individuals with heart conditions, its efficacy against variants, and its ability to prevent transmission.

He said in the lawsuit, Pfizer marketed its vaccine as safe for pregnant women.

However, in February of 2021 (they) possessed reports of 458 pregnant women who received Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy. More than half of the pregnant women reported an adverse event, and more than 10% reported a miscarriage.

However, a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in April 2021 presented preliminary results that did not point towards any safety issues regarding pregnant persons receiving the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, stating that observed miscarriages are not a usual attribute and most likely not a result of the vaccine.

Kobach added that Pfizer advertised the Comirnaty vaccine as not possibly toxic for heart issues such as myocarditis and pericarditis.

ALSO READ| US Representative Lauren Boebert survives scandal and wins Colorado even after switching districts

Pfizer urged Americans to get vaccinated in order to protect their loved ones, clearly indicating a claim that Pfizers COVID-19 vaccination stopped transmission, he said.

Regarding the claim that the vaccine led to severe myocarditis, he quoted a question that was asked to Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla in January 2023: If they saw any evidence that the Pfizer vaccine indeed caused myocarditis, the answer was no, although we have distributed billions of doses.

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These five US states are suing Pfizer over COVID-19 vaccine safety, Robert F Kennedy Jr backs it - Hindustan Times

The Pentagons disinformation campaign against Chinese Covid-19 vaccines in Southeast Asia warn of great powers protecting their own interests in the fight for supremacy.

The revelation by Reuters that the US military engaged in asecret propaganda campaign to undermine Chinas Covid-19 vaccinein countries like the Philippines is deeply troubling and has grave implications for Southeast Asia. By fanning fears and scepticism about the Chinese Sinovac vaccine at the height of the pandemic, the Pentagon recklessly jeopardised public health across the region for the sake of scoring geopolitical points against a rival.

The clandestine operation, which involved creating fake social media accounts impersonating Filipinos and utilising the #ChinaAngVirus hashtag to spread anti-vaccine messaging, was an egregious violation of trust. It cynically exploited the vulnerabilities and insecurities of populations desperate for life-saving vaccines.

In the Philippines,among the hardest-hit nations in Southeast Asia,only around2% of the population completed their initial vaccination protocolas Covid-19 deaths soared in mid-2021. As late as May 2022, only around12% received booster doses. The difficulty in overcoming vaccine hesitancy left Filipinos tragically exposed to the virus.

This calls into serious question Washingtons judgement and commitment as a regional security partner.

US disinformation campaign likely slowed down vaccination efforts in the Philippines

The Pentagon-originated disinformation campaign likely exacerbated the challenges in the Philippines vaccination efforts, already hampered by high levels of vaccine hesitancy. It waswidely reportedthat most Filipinos had rejected the Chinese-made vaccines and had swamped the vaccination centres offering Pfizer shots. This contributed to uneven vaccine uptake and delayed vaccination efforts.

Equally concerning was that US diplomats had warned the Pentagon that their covert campaign could severely damageAmericas already fraying relationship with the Philippines. However, military brass overrode those objections, willing to further undermine a critical alliance for a perceived short-term tactical advantage against China. This calls into serious question Washingtons judgement and commitment as a regional security partner.

In the Philippines, the backlash has been swift and severe, withmultiple agencies calling for immediate investigations and accountability. For example, Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Representative France Castro has urged the House of Representatives to conduct an inquiry into the extent of the damage caused by the Pentagons secret campaign.

Similarly, Pilipinong Nagkakaisa para sa Soberanya (P1NAS) spokesman Antonio Tinio demanded that Malacaang summon the US ambassador to Manila to explain this outrageous conduct and hold the US accountable for endangering Filipino lives. Tinio criticised Washingtons hypocrisy, noting how the US usually condemns propaganda from Russia and China.

Ultimately, beyond the immediate toll on public health, the USs disinformation scheme risks long-term damage to Americas credibility and moral standing in Southeast Asia. It is the kind of shadowy meddling in the regions internal affairs that Washington routinely accuses Beijing of perpetrating. This stark hypocrisy provides ammunition to those claiming that the US has double standards, engaging in the same underhanded tactics it denounces.

In weaponising a global health emergency that demanded solidarity and cooperation, the Pentagon crossed a dangerous line.

Southeast Asian fears of becoming a pawn turning into reality

In a region already anxious aboutgrowing Sino-US tensions, these revelations will deepen concerns that Southeast Asian nations are becoming pawns in a new Cold War. Countries will worry they can no longer take Americas word or motives at face value. Trust, once lost, is not easily regained. Clumsy US attempts to counter Chinese influence could end up repelling regional partners.

The anti-vaccine propaganda also represents an alarming escalation in the expanding disinformation battleground between the US and China. In weaponising a global health emergency that demanded solidarity and cooperation, the Pentagon crossed a dangerous line. It demonstrated a callous willingness to put innocent lives at risk in service of information warfare. This sets a frightening precedent in an era when pandemics and other transnational threats necessitate collaboration, not zero-sum competition.

If Covid-19 vaccines become fair targets for covert sabotage, whats to stop future disinformation campaigns against efforts to combat climate change, prevent future pandemics, or provide humanitarian relief? The stability and welfare of Southeast Asia cannot withstand a psychological arms race with no limits.

The US government must provide a full accounting of this programme, take steps to repair the damage, and commit to higher standards going forward. Continuing to fight disinformation with disinformation will only plant more chaos and confusion, ultimately undermining US interests in the region.

Americas greatest asset has long been the power of its example and ideals. Subverting that with manipulative propaganda is self-defeating. To truly support the health and well-being of Southeast Asian societies, the US should focus on being a responsible, reliable and transparent partner. Competing with China cannot come at the cost of Americas own values and the trust of its allies.

The revelations also underscore the urgent need for a broader reckoning about the rapidly escalating disinformation wars waged by states. The pandemic saw a surge in state-linked influence operations, fromRussias efforts to promote its Sputnik Vvaccine toChinas campaign to deflect blame for the virus origins.This serves as a sober reminder to the public that the infodemic of lies and manipulated narratives is being weaponised by the big powers themselves fuelling a global crisis, eroding already strained public trust, and hobbling the collective pandemic response.

How the region confronts this test will shape its political future and the health of its communities...

Regional frameworks to share best practices

Southeast Asian nations, with their young populations and high social media penetration rates, are especially vulnerable to these online influence battles. Disinformation threatens to inflame societal divisions, drown out scientific facts, and weaken democratic institutions across the region. While governments are waking up to the scope of the challenge, much more needs to be done to bolster resilience and mount a coordinated pushback.

Building regional frameworks to share best practices on combating disinformation, investing in digital literacy programmes, and strengthening independent media ecosystems will be critical. So too will calling out state-sponsored disinformation campaigns from wherever they emanate. Staying silent risks normalising this behaviour.

Southeast Asia is a frontline in the battle for the integrity of the information space. How the region confronts this test will shape its political future and the health of its communities. The US disinformation campaign was a wake-up call it is now time for an honest conversation and committed action. At stake is nothing less than the truth upon which societies depend.

This article was first published inFulcrum, ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institutes blogsite.

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Pentagon's disinformation war against China undermines health and alliances in Southeast Asia - ThinkChina

Glen Nowak, associate dean for research and graduate studies at Grady College, has been appointed to a newly established committee by The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The committee is tasked with reviewing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's COVID-19 Vaccine Safety Research and Communications. (Photo: Sarah Freeman)

Glen Nowak, professor and associate dean for research and graduate studies at Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, has been appointed to a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) committee that will review the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) COVID-19 Vaccine Safety Research and Communications .

Over the course of this year and the first half of 2025, this ad hoc NASEM committee of experts will be evaluating the systems, methods, processes, and communication efforts of the CDC Immunization Safety Offices (ISO) regarding the safety of COVID-19 vaccines during the 2020-2023 public health emergency. The CDC used multiple COVID-19 vaccine safety monitoring systems during the public health emergency to assess and ensure vaccine safety and foster public confidence in authorized and licensed vaccines. One of the purposes of the review is to provide recommendations for sustaining, maintaining, and strengthening CDC ISOs current vaccine safety monitoring systems moving forward.

It is an honor to be invited to be a member of this NASEM review committee, said Nowak. As the COVID-19 pandemic showed, vaccines are a major part of preventing and reducing the considerable harm to people and society that new highly infectious viruses can quickly cause. However, we also know achieving high public acceptance and use of new vaccines requires communicating about the safety and effectiveness. I look forward to being involved in this effort to provide recommendations to strengthen vaccine safety communication.

Nowak, who also serves as co-director of the Grady Colleges Center for Risk & Health Communication, brings much health and vaccine-related communication expertise to the committee. Much of his professional experience and academic research has focused on infectious and vaccine-preventable disease communication. Before rejoining the UGA faculty in January 2013, Nowak worked 14 years at the CDC, including six years as Associate Director of Communication for the National Immunization Program and six years as CDC Director of Media Relations. He has also authored or co-authored over 50 peer-reviewed journal articles, many of which involve health and vaccine-related communication. He is one of three Grady College faculty members to serve as co-editors of the book Advancing Crisis Communication Effectiveness: Integrating Public Relations Scholarship with Practice.

Nowak holds a Bachelor of Science degree in economics and communications from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, an M.A. degree in journalism and a Ph.D. in mass communications from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Author: Shannon Lorusso, sel67411@uga.edu

Contact: Glen Nowak, gnowak@uga.edu

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Grady College faculty member appointed to national COVID-19 committee - Grady - Grady College