Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) this week demanded the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) turn over documents related to the agency’s contract with a New York-based public relations firm that also represented Pfizer and Moderna.
The demand followed revelations that the CDC contracted with Weber Shandwick to provide marketing services to the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD) — the division of the CDC responsible for providing management and support to the agency’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), which issues recommendations to the CDC on vaccines including the COVID-19 vaccine.
The CDC on Sept. 28, 2020, awarded a federal contract to Weber Shandwick to “conduct marketing consulting services” for the NCIRD, Paul said. The CDC twice extended the contract, as recently as August this year, Paul said. According to USAspending, Weber’s contract with the CDC is worth up to $55.2 million — and is paid partially using COVID-19 emergency funds, Paul said. In a letter to CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky, Paul wrote: “According to reports, Weber’s work on behalf of NCIRD includes promoting vaccines and communicating the risks and recommended actions for outbreaks. Weber is responsible for providing NCIRD with ‘10 on-site health communications staffers, seven health comms specialists, two health research specialists and one social media specialist.’