Australia's top vaccine expert Nigel Crawford -- A man who wears many hats. Part-1: Crawford's role in ATAGI influencing Australian Federal Govt vaccine policies.
Part-1: Nigel Crawford is the Chair of ATAGI, the Chair of ATAGI COVID-19 Executive Working Group, the Chair of Sub Group on “Vaccine Safety, Evaluation & Confidence/Communication”. What does it mean?
Who is Nigel Crawford?
Nigel Crawford is Australia’s top vaccine expert. He wears a number of hats at the State, Federal and Global level. At each level, he plays a prominent role in multiple institutions/government agencies/organisations. Within each of these entities, he further assumes multiple roles. It is extremely overwhelming. So let’s just focus on one aspect at a time. This is going to be a multi-part series.
In part-1, let’s just look at Crawford’s leadership roles at The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation ATAGI.
First, What is ATAGI?
The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation
The ATAGI is a ministerially appointed advisory group. ATAGI is comprised of experts from a range of fields — research, clinical and implementation on immunisation. The purpose of ATAGI is to provide evidence-based advice on immunisation policies, programs and priorities to the Minister for Health. ATAGI reports to the Australian Government Minister for Health, either directly or through the Australian Government Department of Health.1
In 2020, The Australian Government Department of Health COVID-19 Vaccine Taskforce decided that ATAGI was the most appropriate committee for providing evidence-based advice and guidance on all things pertaining to the COVID-19 vaccines to the Minister of Department of Health. So, the Australian government requested ATAGI’s advice on the use of COVID-19 vaccines for the Australian population, with special focus on the “effective and equitable use of COVID-19 vaccines”.
Now, let us see what ATAGI says about Conflict of Interest.
The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation on Conflict of Interest
What does the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation say on the issue of Conflict of Interest?
“However, because ATAGI members are experts in the vaccine field, they may be involved in vaccine studies. Therefore ATAGI members who lead vaccine studies at their respective institutions may become ATAGI members but they must abstain from voting on recommendations related to the vaccine they are studying. In addition, they cannot vote on any other vaccines manufactured by the company funding the research or on any vaccines that are similar to the one(s) they are studying.”
Cool. So those with Conflicts of Interests cannot vote on any other vaccines manufactured by the company funding the research or on any vaccines that are similar to the one(s) they are studying. Sounds very reassuring, does it not?
What does the ATAGI say about the review of ATAGI members’ Conflict of Interests?
“A number of members have both academic and clinical interests in vaccine research including people who publish and lecture in the field. After review of all forms, no members of ATAGI were conflicted such that they were either precluded from being a member of ATAGI or were required to abstain from comment or leave the room when any specific clinical question/recommendation was being discussed.”
ATAGI has reviewed ALL forms and NO members of ATAGI are conflicted! Phew. That’s a relief!
What does ATAGI say about Nigel Crawford under the summary of disclosures?2
“Investigator on a number of epidemiological surveillance research and vaccine safety research. Funds received by employer (Murdoch Childrens Research Institute (MCRI).) (Pfizer) Director of the Influenza Specialist Group (ISG). Resigned 23/2/2015.”
Uh, oh! So,Nigel Crawford’s employer Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) takes money from Pfizer. At least, he cannot be a voting member at ATAGI, right? RIGHT??
Crawford’s leadership roles at ATAGI
Nigel Crawford is the Chair of ATAGI, the Chair of ATAGI COVID-19 Executive Working Group, and the Chair of SubGroup on “vaccine safety, evaluation and confidence/communication”3 .
Read that again.
A/Prof Nigel Crawford
ATAGI Chair,
Executive Working Group Lead,
ATAGI voting member
Executive Working Group Lead and Chair, Vaccine Safety, special risk groups
Director, Surveillance of Adverse Events Following Vaccination in the Community (SAEFVIC), Murdoch Children’s Research Institute
Medical Head, Immunisation Services, Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne
What does it mean he is an ATAGI voting member? WHAT? How is that possible? Certainly someone would have identified this conflict of interest and raised this issue, right? RIGHT??
Sure! Let us look at the responsibilities of leaders at ATAGI at various levels.
Responsibilities of Nigel Crawford’s leadership roles within the ATAGI
In fact, let us just look at the responsibilities of Nigel Crawford’s leadership roles within the ATAGI 4.
Chair of ATAGI COVID-19 Executive Working Group
The Chair of the Executive Group will:
● Lead the Working Group in supporting the Minister for Health, in delivering the Working Groups Terms of Reference in collaboration with the Department of Health.
● Lead meetings, including setting the agenda and ensure decisions are clear and accountable.
● Provide leadership and ensure committee members are aware of their obligations and that the Working Group complies with its responsibilities.
● Determine when an issue should be escalated to the Department of Health.
● Seek and review conflicts of interests from members.
● Disseminate outbound Working Group actions and decisions made by the Working Group to ATAGI, by authorising correspondence and documentation via the ATAGI Secretariat.
● Represent the Working Group at meetings related to COVID-19 as required, or nominate a suitable delegate.
● Delegate their responsibilities to a deputy chair in their absence.
Lead/Chair of ATAGI COVID-19 Working Group Sub Group-3 “vaccine safety, evaluation and confidence / communication”
The Chair of each Sub Groups will:
● Lead meetings, including setting the agenda and ensure decisions are clear and accountable.
● Provide leadership and ensure committee members are aware of their obligations and that the Sub Group complies with its responsibilities.
● Determine when an issue should be escalated to the Executive Group.
● Seek and review conflicts of interests from members.
● Disseminate outbound Sub Group actions and decisions to the Executive Group, by authorising correspondence and documentation via the ATAGI Secretariat.
● Represent the Sub Group at meetings related to COVID-19 as required, or nominate a suitable delegate.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
Seeks and Reviews Conflicts of Interests:
As the chair of the COVID-19 Working Group’s subgroup-3 (“Vaccine Safety, Evaluation and Confidence/Communication), Nigel Crawford will seek and review any conflicts of interests from his members.
If there’s any issue, he will then raise it with the Chair of the Executive Working Group — that is himself.
And as the Chair of the Executive Working Group, he would seek and review any conflicts of interests from the members and the chairs of various subgroups. That is, as for the vaccine safety subgroup, he will seek information on conflicts of interests from himself and review that information by himself.
Then, if he feels that there is an issue of conflict of interest, Crawford, as the Chair of the Executive Working Group would raise it with the Chair of the ATAGI — that is himself.
As the Chair of ATAGI & the Chair of the Executive Working Group on COVID-19, if Crawford feels that there’s an issue regarding Conflict of Interests, he would raise it with the Australian Government’s Department of Health.
Who appointed Nigel Crawford as the Chair of ATAGI? The Australian Government.
Who appointed Nigel Crawford as the Chair of the Executive Working Group on COVID-19? The Australian Government.
Determines when an issue needs to be escalated:
As the Chair of the subgroup on COVID-19 vaccine safety, Nigel Crawford determines when an issue needs to be escalated to the Chair of the Executive Group —that is, to himself.
As the Chair of the Executive Working Group on COVID-19, Nigel Crawford determines when an issue on vaccine safety needs to be escalated to the Chair of ATAGI — that is, to himself.
As the Chair of ATAGI & the Chair of the Executive Working Group on COVID-19, Nigel Crawford determines when an issue needs to be escalated to the Department of Health.
Who appointed Nigel Crawford as the Chair of ATAGI? The Australian Government.
Who appointed Nigel Crawford as the Chair of the Executive Working Group on COVID-19? The Australian Government.
Let’s do one more.
Ensures awareness of obligations and compliance with responsibilities:
As the Chair of the sub group on COVID-19 vaccine safety, Nigel Crawford will ensure that his subgroup members are aware of their obligations and that they comply with their responsibilities.
And who will ensure that the Chair of the subgroup (Nigel Crawford) is aware of his obligations and that he complies with his responsibilities? The Chair of the Executive Working Group (Also, Nigel Crawford).
Who will ensure that the Chair of the Executive Working Group is aware of his obligations and that he complies with his responsibilities? The chair of the ATAGI (Also, Nigel Crawford).
Okay, last one, I promise.
Authorises dissemination of information on Actions & Decisions upstream (controls the flow of information):
As the chair of the sub group on COVID-19 vaccine safety, Nigel Crawford will authorise dissemination of information on his subgroup’s Actions & Decisions pertaining to vaccine safety issues to the Chair of Executive Working Group — to himself.
Then, as the Chair of the Executive Working Group, Crawford determines the information about the working group that needs to be disseminated upstream. He then authorises this information to be communicated to the Chair of ATAGI (that is, himself) and to the Department of Health (which functions under the Australian Federal Government, who also hand-picked Nigel Crawford for these lucrative roles).
Nigel Crawford literally controls the flow of information from his subgroup on “Vaccine Safety, Evaluation, Confidence and Communication” and determines what information needs to be disseminated, when and to whom.
What could go wrong!
In the subsequent parts, we shall see what else Nigel Crawford does at the various organisations and institutions at the various levels of Government, particularly his role on vaccine safety.
Until then, bye!
Update:
Part-2: Australia's top vaccine expert Nigel Crawford -- his influence in VIC, Vax Safety institutions in VIC & their Pharma ties -- can they be trusted?
Part-3 Audio:AU's top vaccine expert Nigel Crawford's significant role in influencing Federal (ATAGI) & VIC State Vaccine Policies, Vax Safety, Pharma Links, Mandates, Exemption, Injuries, Myocarditis
There’s more. Will be continued in Part-4. Until then, bye.
—The Solitary Reaper.
And this paid fizzer shill is running the show for immunisation at the royal childrens in Melbourne. Good lord, the health of humanity is doomed.
I can well imagine every self-respecting vaccine manufacturer in the world has by now made it their business to ensure their product managers all have the contact details of "The chair of the ATAGI (Nigel Crawford).”
Surplus to say I am sure, Crawford would be beyond reproach should any of these manufacturers misguidedly think they could buy his influence in any meaningful way? Besides there are too many safety checks in place for that to stand a chance of succeeding!