Conflicts of Interest Australia COVID Policy [Part 2]

THERAPEUTIC GOODS ADMINISTRATION (TGA)

ROLE: “The TGA is part of the Australian Government Department of Health, and is responsible for regulating therapeutic goods”.

• The TGA is the Australian government regulator of therapeutic goods such as medicines and vaccines, which evaluates and registers products ^{^01}.
• The funding system they use is known as Cost Recovery (or User-Pay) and it means that the TGA recovers the full cost of its regulatory activities by charging the sponsors and manufacturers of the products that are regulated ^{^02}.
• The pharmaceutical and manufacturing industry funds the TGA even though this government body has the dual role of approving drugs for its sponsor and monitoring the safety of these same drugs in the Australian population.

ROLE: “The ACV provides independent medical and scientific advice to the Minister for Health and the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) on issues relating to the safety, quality and efficacy of vaccines supplied in Australia.”

• Chair of TGA’s ACV is Allen Cheng and members include Kristine Macartney ^{^03}.
• Prof Cheng is also Co-chair of ATAGI   ^{^04}
• Director of Alfred health, which has received payments from Merck, GSK, Gilead, Biocryst and George Clinical ^{^05}.

AUSTRALIAN INFLUENZA VACCINE COMMITTEE (AIVC)

ROLE: “The AIVC provides advice to the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) on the composition of the seasonal influenza vaccine to be supplied each year in Australia.”

• Voting Members of ATAGI’s AIVC include Robert Booy and Helen Marshall ^{^06}, both of which were associated with industry-sponsored vaccine research ^{^05}, ^{^07}

AUSTRALIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION (AMA)

ROLE: “Working with governments, the AMA is strategically positioned to challenge governments on policy”

• Is affiliated with the Immunisation Coalition ^{^08}, which is funded by vaccine manufacturers Pfizer, CSL/Seqirus, GlaxoSmithKline, Sanofi and Merck, and Google ^{^09}.
• Current President is Dr Omar Khorsahid ^{^10}.
• Former President Tony Bartone ^{^11}, is a member of the Immunisation Coalition ^{^12}.

AUSTRALIAN PARTNERSHIP FOR PREPAREDNESS RESEARCH ON INFECTIOUS DISEASE EMERGENCIES (APPRISE)

ROLE: “The APPRISE Centre of Research Excellence is developing research to inform Australia’s emergency response to infectious diseases”

• Their Chief Investigators include: Allen Cheng and Jodi McVernon; and Associate Investigators include: Kristine Macartney and Stephen Lambert. 

AUSTRALIAN TECHNICAL ADVISORY GROUP ON IMMUNISATION (ATAGI)

ROLE: “ATAGI advises the Minister for Health on the National Immunisation Program (NIP) and other immunisation issues.”

• The Australian Government National Immunisation Handbook is recommended by ATAGI ^{^13} before being published. ATAGI advises the Minister for Health re vaccines and advises the PBAC on vaccine effectiveness.
• There are currently a total of 15 members on the Advisory Group  ^{^14.} Many members of ATAGI also work on industry-funded vaccine trials. For example:
  • Co-chair of ATAGI is Christopher Blyth, who has received funding from Pfizer ^{^15}
  • Co-chair of ATAGI is Allen Cheng, Director of Alfred health, which has received payments from Merck, GSK, Gilead, Biocryst and George Clinical ^{^16} which are all involved in vaccine manufacturing.
  • Member of ATAGI is Nigel Crawford who is employed by Murdoch Children’s Research Institute  ^{^17 ^16} which has received funding from Vaccination and Immunisation Research Group by vaccine manufacturers GSK, Janssen, Merck, Novavax, Sanofi and Sequiris ^{^18.}
  • Member of ATAGI, Michelle Giles, is an infectious disease Physician, who has received travelling, accommodation and registration to a vaccine conference from Pfizer. ^{^19} She also received grants from Monash University  ^{^17}
  • Member of ATAGI, Tom Snelling is Head of Infectious Disease and Implementation Research of Telethon Kids Institute  ^{^17,} which is partnered with Johnson & Johnson, Roche, Pfizer, Novartis, GSK and Sanofi ^{^20}. He is also on the committee of the PBAC ^{^21}

ROLE: “We collaborate with like-minded organisations such as Primary Health Networks (PHNs), Public Health Units, Government health departments and other groups that fight vaccine hesitancy.”

• Receives funds from vaccine manufacturers Pfizer, CSL/Seqirus, GlaxoSmithKline, Sanofi, Merck, and Google ^{^22}
• Their special interest group, Influenza Specialist Group ^{^23}, received funds from vaccine manufacturers Abbott, GSK, Seqirus, Pfizer, Roche and Sanofi ^{^24.}
• The Immunisation Coalition is also associated with the Australian Medical Association [AMA], the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and other medical organisations ^{^25.}
• Board of Directors of the Immunisation Coalition is Robert Booy.  Members include Margie Danchin and former AMA President, Tony Bartone ^{^26}
• Chairman, Rod Pearce ^{^27} , is also a member of the Asia-Pacific Alliance for the Control of Influenza (APACI) ^{^28} which received funds from vaccine manufacturers IFPMA, Roche and Seqirus/CSL  ^{^29}
• CEO, Mr Kim Sampson ^{^30,} is also the Executive Director of the Asia-Pacific Alliance for the Control of Influenza (APACI)  ^{^31} which received funds from vaccine manufacturers IFPMA, Roche and Seqirus/CSL ^{^29}

ROLE: “ISG is a Special Interest Group of the Immunisation Coaltion,”

• Received funds from vaccine manufacturers Abbott, GSK, Seqirus, Pfizer, Roche and Sanofi ^{^32}.  
• ISG is a special interest group of the Immunisation Coalition ^{^33} which received funds from vaccine manufacturers GSK, Merck, Pfizer, Sanofi and Seqirus/CSL and Google ^{^09}.
• Their annual meetings include government health officials and pharmaceutical industry representatives ^{^34}.

MURDOCH CHILDREN’S RESEARCH INSTITUTE (MCRI)

ROLE: “MCRI research contributes to changes in policy and practice in Australia and around the world.”

• MCRI is involved in developing new vaccines and testing ^{^35}.
• MCRI is in collaboration with Vaccination and Immunisation Research Group which has received funding from vaccine manufacturers GSK, Janssen, Merck, Novavax, Sanofi and Sequiris ^{^18.}
• Based on their 2019 Annual report, they have received support from Billl And Melinda Gates Foundation & Pfizer ^{^36.}
• In 1984, Rupert Murdoch and family donated $5 million to The Birth Defects Research Institute at Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital which would then be renamed Murdoch Institute for Research into Birth Defects ^{^37}.
• Rupert Murdoch’s mother Dame Elisabeth Murdoch then became a founding member of the MCRI ^{^38} and in 2014, Sarah Murdoch became a member of the Board and the Ambassador for MCRI ^{^39.}
• News Corp Australia is a corporate partner of the MCRI ^{^40.}  Tabloids were behind the “No Jab, No Play” media campaign ^{^41,} which was obligingly adopted as policy by politicians across the political spectrum in Australia, and enacted as the coercive “No Jab, No Pay” law under Malcolm Turnbull as Prime Minister in January 2016.  And in 2016, News Corp Australia acquired Sky News channels in Australia ^{^42.}

NATIONAL CENTRE FOR IMMUNISATION RESEARCH & SURVEILLANCE (NCIRS)ROLE: “to inform policy and planning for immunisation services in Australia”.

• Core funding for NCIRS is provided by Australian Government ^{^43} and plays a major role in supporting ATAGI and its working parties ^{^44.}
• Former Director of NCIRS (2005 to 2017), Peter McIntyre, was associated with industry-sponsored vaccine research  ^{^45}
• Former Head of Clinical Research at NCIRS (2005 to 2019), Robert Booy ^{^46.} 
• AusVaxSafety is Australia’s active vaccine safety system, led by NCIRS ^{^47.}  NCIRS operations and research activities are overseen by an Advisory Board and a Scientific Advisory Committee.
• Board Members of the Advisory Board include Jodie McVernon, Kristine Macartney, Stephen Lambert and Terry Nolan ^{^48.} 
• Board Members of the Scientific Advisory Committee include Stephen Lambert (Chair), Helen Marshall, Peter Richmond, Tom Snelling and Margie Danchin ^{^49}
  Sharing Knowledge About Immunisation (SKAI), setup by NCIRS to facilitate conversations about childhood immunisation between parents and healthcare providers ^{^50.} It was in partnership between researchers from the University of Melbourne, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, and Telethon Kids Institute ^{^51.}The team at SKAI included Margie Danchin, Kristine Macartney, Tom Snelling and lead by Terry Nolan. 
• In 2016, NCIRS disclosed its clinical research group undertakes a mix of investigator driven and industry sponsored research including studies supported by vaccine manufacturers ^{^52}

NATIONAL HEALTH & MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL (NHMRC)

ROLE: “NHMRC became an independent statutory agency within the portfolio of the Australian Government Minister for Health and Ageing,”

• The Australian Government National Immunisation Handbook is approved by NHMRC ^{^53} before being published.
• The Chairperson of the NHMRC is Bruce Robinson ^{^54,} who was formerly on the Advisory Board for AstraZeneca and Bayer Australia ^{^55 ^56}
• Anne Kelso is the CEO of NHMRC ^{^57}
• The Medical Journal of Australia (MJA) published in 2011 “Only 15% of guidelines on the NHMRC portal from the most prolific developers have published conflict of interest statements, and fewer detail the processes used to manage conflicts” ^{^58.}

PHARMACEUTICAL BENEFITS ADVISORY COMMITTEE (PBAC)

ROLE: “The PBS Schedule lists all of the medicines available to be dispensed to patients at a Government-subsidised price”.

• The PBS is managed by the Department of Health ^{^59.}
• The PBAC’s Cost Recovery Fees & Charges involves the Australian Government charging the non-government sector for some or all of the efficient costs of a specific government activity. That activity may include the provision of goods, services or regulation, or a combination of them. ^{^60.}
• Member of PBAC, Tom Snelling ^{^61,} is also Head, Infectious Disease Implementation at Telethon Kids ^{^62}, which is partnered with Johnson & Johnson, Roche, Pfizer, Novartis, GSK and Sanofi ^{^63}

PUBLIC HEALTH ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA (PHAA)

ROLE: “We lead the conversation in public health policy across Australia”.

• The PHAA state that they lead the conversation in public health policy across Australia. They work collaboratively with groups to produce evidence-based policy positions to improve public health in Australia ^{^64.}
• The PHAA run the National Immunisation Conference every 2 years which is sponsored by vaccine manufacturers. e.g. 2021 conference sponsored by GSK and Seqirus ^{^65}; and in 2016 sponsored by GSK, Seqirus, Sanofi and Pfizer ^{^66.}
• During their 2014 conference, the PHAA promoted a poster produced by Stop the Australian Vaccination Network, a coercive vaccination lobby group ^{^67.}

ROLE: “We work exclusively in Australia on public policy advocacy”.

• Reset Australia is a global initiative working to counter digital threats to democracy ^{^68}.  They claim to work exclusively in Australia on public policy advocacy, research, and civic engagement to strengthen our democracy.
• The coalition, led by Reset Australia, is working against misinformation regarding COVID-19 vaccination efforts ^{^69.}  The coalition includes:
  • The Immunisation Coalition, which received funds from vaccine manufacturers GSK, Merck, Pfizer, Sanofi and Seqirus/CSL and Google ^{^70}
  • The Immunisation Foundation of Australia.
  • Coronavax a project led by Chris Blyth based at the Telethon Kids Institute ^{^71,} which is partnered with Johnson & Johnson, Roche, Pfizer, Novartis, GSK and Sanofi ^{^63}
  • The Doherty Institute, who are in collaboration with VIRGo ^{^18.} 

ROLE: “We bring together community, researchers, practitioners, policy makers and funders”.

• Partnered with Johnson & Johnson, Roche, Pfizer, Novartis, GSK and Sanofi ^{^63}

VACCINE & IMMUNISATION RESEARCH GROUP (VIRGo

ROLE: “Our findings enable us to advise policy makers on the optimal use of vaccines in national immunisation schedules”.

• VIRGo is a collaboration between the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity at the University of Melbourne ^{^72.}
• VIRGo has received funds from vaccine manufacturers GSK, Janssen, Merck, Novavax, Sanofi and Sequiris ^{^72.}
• Head of VIRGo is Terry Nolan ^{^73.} 
• Currently leads vax4COVID, which is an alliance of experienced Australian vaccine clinical trial centres formed to facilitate the conduct of Phase II trials of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidates ^{^72.}