On June 11, 2024, the Princess Máxima Center distanced itself from the article Excess mortality across countries in the Western World since the COVID-19 pandemic: ‘Our World in Data’ estimates of January 2020 to December 2022 in BMJ Public Health. The center cited concerns about the article’s scientific quality and its misalignment with the center's expertise. At that time, the center announced an investigation into the scientific quality and integrity of the research. As part of this process, the CWI consulted with the two researchers involved in the article who remain employed by the Princess Máxima Center.
The CWI concluded that while there was no breach of scientific integrity, several principles of the Netherlands Code of Conduct for Research Integrity were violated during the publication process. However, the CWI found no evidence of intent, plagiarism, or data falsification by the researchers at the Princess Máxima Center. As a result, the conduct of these researchers does not qualify as a violation of scientific integrity. The investigation is complete but not yet finalized, as those involved may still request the National Board on Research Integrity to review the findings. Once final, the Princess Máxima Center will make the findings and conclusions publicly available in an anonymized format.
Sustainable Improvements
In response to the publication and following the CWI’s recommendations, the Princess Máxima Center has tightened several internal procedures and is working on enhancing processes related to scientific publications and the underlying research. These adjustments aim to further safeguard scientific quality.
René Medema, Chief Scientific Officer (CSO), explains:
“Our scientific research must always meet the highest standards. This is essential for achieving our mission. We regret the shortcomings that occurred, and I speak on behalf of all involved staff. The CWI’s recommendations and our evaluations have helped us implement sustainable improvements to ensure these standards. This will ultimately benefit the scientific output of our entire center.”
Concrete Improvements
The Princess Máxima Center has implemented or is implementing the following measures:
- Strengthening the Code of Conduct: A program has been developed to raise awareness of the principles of the Scientific Integrity Code. This program aims to deepen understanding and reinforce awareness across the organization.
- Transparency in Ongoing Research: A repository has been created to track all ongoing research and publication timelines. This fosters transparency and consistency. Articles undergo more thorough internal screening before being submitted for publication.
- Improved Task Allocation: Efforts are underway to achieve a better distribution of responsibilities in research related to pediatric oncology in low- and middle-income countries. Under the leadership of the Board of Directors, particularly the CSO, tasks and responsibilities are being reassigned to better ensure the quality of work. This restructuring will enhance the center’s expertise in research on healthcare quality for children with cancer in these regions.
Medema emphasizes:
“These measures reflect our growth since our founding in 2018. At the same time, we aim to learn from past events to become stronger as an organization.”
Article Retraction
Shortly after publication, the authors requested BMJ Public Health to retract the article due to the risk of misinterpretation and the potential resulting decline in vaccination willingness. They remain willing to publicly disavow the misconception that excess mortality could be attributed to vaccinations. As of the writing of the CWI’s report, the article has not yet been retracted by the journal.