ATLANTA, Ga. (ChurchMilitant.com) – Critics are wondering why the Centers for Disease Control is claiming it was not planning on reviving mask mandates, despite reports to the contrary. They are also asking why the CDC is no longer collecting data on adverse reactions to COVID-19 vaccinations.
A CDC spokesman informed Newsweek on Thursday that, at present, there are no plans to reinstate mask mandates. However, the spokesman did not rule out the possibility if cases of the new variants increase.
The representative clarified the CDC’s role as providing recommendations based on the situation, rather than issuing mask mandates.
“We will continue monitoring and will adjust our recommendations accordingly,” the CDC spokesperson added.
Returning Mask Mandates?
The CDC’s response followed social media buzz suggesting the government agency was intending to revive mask mandates.
For instance, on Aug. 18, prominent conservative Melissa Tate tweeted, “Alex Jones says a TSA whistleblower has told him TSA employees were instructed on Tue that masks are coming back by October for travelers & full COVID restrictions/lockdowns by December due to a new ‘dangerous variant’ out of Canada.”
BREAKING: Alex Jones says a TSA whistleblower has told him TSA employees were instructed on Tue that masks are coming back by October for travelers & full Covid restrictions/lockdowns by December due to a new “dangerous variant” out of Canada. pic.twitter.com/sw4b2XYuoh
— Melissa Tate (@TheRightMelissa) August 19, 2023
Reacting to the CDC’s denial of there being any truth to the buzz, some observers suggest the agency floated the idea as a “trial balloon” to gauge potential backlash.
Critics argue that it’s unlikely Alex Jones fabricated the return of mask mandates without basis. They propose the CDC initially leaked the idea but retreated due to negative reception. Observers suggest the information was purposely leaked to gauge resistance or opposition. When met with resistance, the CDC retracted statements and denied involvement.
No More Vaccine Vigilance
Regardless of the truth behind mask mandate rumors, one recent CDC move is certain: The agency stopped collecting adverse reports on COVID-19 vaccinations without providing any explanations.
Visitors to the CDC’s “v-safe” website are greeted with the following message:
Thank you for your participation. Data collection for COVID-19 vaccines concluded on June 30, 2023. If you have symptoms or health problems following your COVID-19 vaccination that concern you, please contact your healthcare provider. You can also report to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS).
The CDC launched v-safe in December 2020. According to a CDC press release, v-safe was created as “a way for you to report how you feel after COVID-19 vaccination through a smartphone-based tool that uses text messaging and web surveys to check in with you.”
Dr. David Gortler
However, Dr. David Gortler — a 2023 Brownstone Fellow, pharmacologist, pharmacist, research scientist and former FDA senior executive leadership team member — is suspicious of the CDC’s sudden termination of its data collection initiative.
A screenshot he provided reveals that the last report before deletion shows more than 6 million vaccinated individuals reported adverse events and health impacts.
Yet despite these concerning clinical findings, the CDC determined that gathering new safety reports no longer served America’s public health interest.
“Does this mean that the CDC believes that the mRNA COVID-19 injections are so safe there is no need to monitor adverse event reports any longer?” Gorlter asked. “What is the argument against continued monitoring, especially since the v-safe website was already up and paid for?”
“As a drug safety expert, I personally can’t cite another example of any agency or manufacturer halting collection of safety data,” he continued. “It seems even worse because mRNA technology is relatively new with long-term manifestations unknown.”
Gortler also noted that both manufacturers and the FDA withhold ingredient lists, including lipid nanoparticles capable of impacting individuals in varying ways and exhibiting clinical manifestations over an extended period.
“To the best of my knowledge, stopping the collection of public health information doesn’t have a clinical justification or scientific precedence — especially when it comes to an actively marketed product,” Gortler surmised.
“In George Orwell’s 1984, characters were told by The Party to ‘reject the evidence of your eyes and ears,'” he continued. “Now, the CDC isn’t even allowing that evidence to be collected for viewing (and prospective rejecting).”
Gortler concluded such an approach would be an awful one for any product, “let alone novel mRNA technologies.”