A decision by Public Health England to not publish the results of three clinical trials into vaccines for children has been criticised by scientists.
Experts told The Sunday Telegraph that failing to disclose the results of the three studies “makes a mockery of all our efforts to promote trust in medicine,”.
That was from Dr Ben Goldacre, who has conducted research into the number of clinical trials that comply with the European Commission’s deadline for submitting results.
Trials taking place on the EU Clinical Trials Register (EUCTR) are required to post results within 12 months of the trial’s completion date.
Three trials involving hundreds of children testing new vaccines for diseases including whooping cough and meningitis were tested by Public Health England, the latest one being completed all the way back in 2010. None of the trials have posted their results, making England’s health body in breach of EU law.
Speaking to The Sunday Telegraph, Dr Goldacre said: “It is incomprehensible to me that Public Health England of all the trials it could leave unreported to have failed to comply with the legal requirements to report trials of vaccines.
“When patients participate and they take a risk with their own health. We have to respect their contribution by publishing the results properly. If we don’t, that is a betrayal of trust.”
“Withholding the results of a clinical trial makes a mockery of all our efforts to promote trust in medicine, and I’m particularly sad to see vaccine trials going unreported.”
Dr Goldacre has conducted a study into the number of clinical trials on the EUCTR which comply with the law. The study found that out of 7,247 trials less than half (49.5%) have reported results. The study also found that trials with a commercial sponsor were more likely to publish results.
By not publishing the results of the vaccine trials, the UK’s public do not know how the children’s health fared. More so, considering the wave of anti-vaccine movements that have been prevalent across the UK and US, vaccines with credible scientific studies are needed more than ever.