Wednesday, 30 April 2025

COVID-19 Jab Manufacturer Faces Suspension Over “Unacceptable” Practices

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Moderna faces suspension or expulsion from a United Kingdom trade group following several breaches of the regulatory code.

According to The Telegraph, the Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority (PMCPA) is due to audit the COVID-19 jab manufacturer over “unacceptable” practices.

PMCPA is “an independent, self-regulatory body established by the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry,” The Defender noted.

One of the code breaches includes company representatives offering children £1,500 and teddy bears to participate in COVID-19 jab trials.

The Telegraph reports:

In a fresh ruling, which is expected to be published in the coming days, the company was also found to have misled regulators about when it first became aware of the financial incentives to children.

Moderna claimed it had taken action as soon as it was notified about the cash offer by the Health Research Agency in January 2024, but it has now emerged that senior executives were informed in August 2023 by the campaign group UsForThem, yet failed to take action.

Under the Medicines for Human Use (Clinical Trials) regulations, it is prohibited for incentives or financial inducements to be given to children or their parents.

The PMCPA ruled the company had shown a lack of transparency that was “completely unacceptable” and brought discredit upon the industry.

A senior employee was also found to have co-authored three articles, including one with Nadhim Zahawi, the former vaccines minister, which promoted Moderna’s Covid vaccine without disclosing he worked for the company. He also sent promotional tweets from a personal account without revealing his role.

From The Defender:

In October 2024, the regulator fined Moderna 14,000 pounds ($18,788) after the Children’s Covid Vaccine Advisory Council submitted a complaint about “inappropriate financial inducement” offered to children and their parents to participate in the vaccine maker’s clinical trial for COVID-19 vaccines.

The complaint criticized Moderna for initially offering children’s families 1,505 pounds ($2,020) to participate in its NextCOVE clinical trial, testing Moderna’s mRNA vaccine in children ages 12 and up.

The council cited concerns raised by the research ethics committee that approved the clinical study, which said the payment offered, “placed the children at risk of coercion.” The organization required that Moderna reduce the offer before recruitment could begin.

Moderna reduced the amount to 185 pounds ($248), yet at least one clinical trial site continued to offer the high payments.

Moderna claimed it took action as soon as it was notified about the continued high cash offer in January 2024. However, new evidence shows that the U.K. children’s health advocacy group UsForThem informed senior executives of the issue in August 2023, but Moderna took no action.

In February of this year, the company was ordered to pay nearly 44,000 pounds ($59,049) after 12-year-olds were offered a teddy bear to join the same trials. Advertisements aimed at children told them, “All our junior volunteers get a lovely certificate and a ‘be part of the research’ teddy bear.” At least two online articles also directly target children.

The U.K.’s Medicines for Human Use Regulations prohibit offering financial or other incentives to children and families to participate in clinical trials.


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