Updated on December 9, 2020 at 7:10 pm
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As chair-person of California’s COVID-19 Scientific Safety Review Workgroup, Dr. Arthur Reingold and his team of health experts are tasked with double checking the work of the FDA and CDC and either assuring residents that the new vaccines are safe or rejecting the new drugs if they find a problem.
Three other states, Washington, Oregon and Nevada, have joined the safety review.
As public confidence in federal agencies has eroded during the pandemic, states are calling for independent evaluations by impartial health experts.
Dr. Reingold, who is Head of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at UC Berkeley, has worked on prevention and control of infectious diseases for over 40 years. Dr. Reingold acknowledged in his interview with NBC Bay Area’s Investigative Unit that this new and unprecedented state review process could backfire if his committee disagrees with the federal agencies.