U.S. reverses course and will not withdraw from World Health Organization; agency examines deaths of “frail, elderly individuals” who took Pfizer vaccine

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Biden Administration immediately declared after inauguration U.S. is reversing a course set by Donald Trump and will not withdraw from the World Health Organization as the agency announced it had examined deaths of “frail, elderly individuals” who took the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine.

President Joe Biden sent the following letter to the World Health Organization after his inauguration this week:

This letter constitutes a retraction by the Government of the United States of the letter dated July 6, 2020, notifying you that the Government of the United States intended to withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO), effective July 6, 2021.  The United States intends to remain a member of the World Health Organization.The WHO plays a crucial role in the world’s fight against the deadly COVID-19 pandemic as well as countless other threats to global health and health security.  The United States will continue to be a full participant and a global leader in confronting such threats and advancing global health and health security.

Please accept, Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration.

JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

Meanwhile, the WHO’s GACVS COVID-19 Vaccine Safety subcommittee met virtually on Tuesday, January 19, 2021, to review available information and data on deaths reported in frail, elderly individuals who had received the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 mRNA vaccine, BNT162b2 (hereafter, BNT162b2). Experts invited from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the Uppsala Monitoring Center (UMC) provided an overview of deaths reported in Europe and in the WHO global database (VigiBase) following vaccination with BNT162b2.

Based on a careful scientific review of the information made available, the subcommittee came to the following conclusions:

The current reports do not suggest any unexpected or untoward increase in fatalities in frail, elderly individuals or any unusual characteristics of adverse events following administration of BNT162b2. Reports are in line with the expected, all-cause mortality rates and causes of death in the sub-population of frail, elderly individuals, and the available information does not confirm a contributory role for the vaccine in the reported fatal events. In view of this, the committee considers that the benefit-risk balance of BNT162b2 remains favourable in the elderly, and does not suggest any revision, at present, to the recommendations around the safety of this vaccine.

Countries should continue to monitor the safety of vaccines, and promote routine after-care following immunization, consistent with good immunization practices for any vaccine. The committee recommends that data on suspected adverse events should be collected and reviewed continuously – nationally, regionally, and globally – as the COVID-19 vaccines are rolled out, world-wide[1].

The GACVS subcommittee will continue to monitor the safety data from these vaccines and update any advice as necessary.