The repercussions of the 2020 COVID-19 crisis continue to unfold. Recently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has uncovered evidence suggesting a possible connection between coronavirus vaccines and the deaths of up to 10 children. In response, the agency is stepping up its regulations concerning the approval of new vaccines.

This shift is partly driven by the encouragement of the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The revamped strategy not only focuses on the delivery of vaccines but also emphasizes changes in their development process. The COVID-19 vaccines sparked significant controversy due to the rapid pace of their creation and their initial deployment under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA).

The situation can be somewhat perplexing. Vaccines function by stimulating the immune system to produce antibodies, which help reduce infections. Essentially, they train the immune system to recognize and combat specific pathogens, thereby preventing infections.

At least part of this was done at the urging of the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. We should note that at least part of the new approach is not just on how vaccines are delivered, but how they are developed. The COVID-19 vaccines were subject of much debate due to the speed of their development and their initial use under an Emergency Use Authorization, or EUA.

Vinay Prasad, an FDA official whose approach to vaccine policy has been championed by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., told agency officials that the FDA will rethink its framework for annual flu shots, examine whether Americans should be receiving multiple vaccines at the same time and require vaccine makers to show far more data to prove the safety and value of their products. For instance, Prasad said that pneumonia vaccine makers must demonstrate that their products reduce pneumonia, rather than just generate antibodies to fight infections.

That’s a trifle confusing. Vaccines work by provoking the immune system to generate antibodies. That’s how they reduce infections. They train your immune system to fight an infection by recognizing and targeting specific pathogens.