Media reports Moderna risking UK suspension due to cash, toys offered to children
(MENAFN) US pharmaceutical company Moderna could be suspended or expelled from a UK trade body due to breaches of industry regulations, including offering children cash and teddy bears to participate in Covid vaccine trials, according to The Telegraph. The company, which became a member of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) in 2023, is now undergoing an audit that could lead to suspension or expulsion. A decision is expected soon, and if sanctioned, Moderna would become the tenth company to face such action in the past 40 years.
The UK's Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority (PMCPA) criticized Moderna for its lack of transparency, calling it "unacceptable" and damaging to the pharmaceutical industry's reputation. In October 2024, Moderna was fined £14,000 ($17,850) after a WhatsApp message offered £1,500 ($1,872) to minors to join the NextCOVE Covid booster trial. Although the company later reduced the payment to £185 ($231), at least one site continued promoting the original offer. The PMCPA ruled that this payment was “much higher than would be considered a reasonable reimbursement” and undermined the credibility of the industry.
Additionally, Moderna was fined nearly £44,000 ($56,000) after an investigation by the UK’s pharmaceutical regulator found that the company had damaged the industry’s reputation. In 2023, Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust published advertisements aimed at children over 12, offering a certificate and a "be part of the research" teddy bear. The PMCPA also found that a senior Moderna employee had co-authored promotional materials, including one with former vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi, without disclosing their affiliation.
The PMCPA accused Moderna of misleading regulators about when it learned of the breaches, with evidence showing that executives were notified as early as August 2023. According to Molly Kingsley, founder of UsForThem, the findings revealed how Moderna prioritized profit over the health and safety of children, showing "little regard for the regulatory system."
Health authorities have warned that Covid-19 vaccines, including Moderna’s Spikevax, can lead to side effects in minors, such as injection site pain, fatigue, headache, fever, and, in rare cases, myocarditis or pericarditis.
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