"Swine flu" vaccination: Transparency International criticized potential conflicts of interest and non-transparent decision-making processes
The German chapter of Transparency International requested that the decision-making process to implement a vast vaccination plan against swine flu was disclosed.
The anti-corruption organisation Transparency International has been criticising the lack of transparency and the potential conflicts of interest of the of the Permanent Vaccination Commission (STIKO) for many years as they undermine its credibility and, in this case, lead to the suspicion that the H1N1 flu is used by the pharmaceutical industry to market their products.
Since August 2008, the members of STIKO have finally disclosed their potential conflicts of interest on STIKO's website, something Transparency International had been urged for years and which is a praiseworthy first step. The latest data from March 2009 show that the majority of the currently 16 members have more or less close contacts, including paid employment with the major manufacturers of vaccines. Furthermore, some of the STIKO members are involved in the "Forum vaccination", which is financially supported by companies including Sanofi-Pasteur MSD (SPMSD), though the website of "Forum Vaccination" gives no indication of the amount of financial support.
Considering the high uncertainty in population and also in the medical profession about the need for and risks of vaccination, TI urges that confidence is built through consultation of independent experts. The consultation will have to be fully disclosed in order to avoid any influence of the pharmaceutical industry. TI further criticises that the German federal government has failed to take a transparent decision based on scientific experts input.
The approval of the vaccine was made by the European agency EMEA, whose work Transparency Germany has looked at very critically for years. Both the facts that the EMEA is under the Directorate General for Economic Affairs and not under the Directorate General for Health and Consumer Protection (DG Sanco) of the European Commission, as well as their funding for nearly two-thirds by the pharmaceutical industry is seen as highly problematic, especially since a review of the authorization process by external scientists is generally possible only after the proposal is approved.
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Transparency International, Germany e. V. in Germany works towards curbing corruption in a sustained and effective way. This is only possible with the cooperation of government, business and civil society.