While the CDC's Immunization Safety Office (ISO) played an essential role in monitoring vaccine safety during the COVID-19 pandemic, it needs to maintain independence from its parent agency if it wants to build public trust, according to a new report released by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM). [MEDPAGE Today]

— Immunization Safety Office performed well during COVID, but needs to improve public trust

The comprehensive review, which was requested by the CDC, revealed that ISO faces ongoing challenges from its perceived overlap with the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD), which promotes vaccine use, despite the two being separate entities. Some critics argue that this undermines ISO's perceived impartiality.

"This perception can lead to skepticism among segments of the public, complicating efforts to communicate scientifically grounded vaccine risk assessments effectively," the report stated.

"Moving forward, enhancing transparency and distinguishing ISO's role from broader CDC efforts to encourage vaccination will be essential to address emerging vaccine risk challenges and to maintain public trust," Jane Henney, MD, chair of the review committee and a former FDA commissioner, said in a statement.

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