Shares of Pfizer and Moderna fell sharply on Friday following a Washington Post report that Trump administration health officials may claim Covid vaccines were linked to the deaths of 25 children. Novavax shares also lost more than 4%.
The report said officials plan to present the claim next week to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), which advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on vaccine use. The presentation has not been finalized, and the Department of Health and Human Services said any speculation ahead of the meeting is premature.
Political shift on vaccine policy
The development comes as Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. moves to reshape U.S. vaccine policy. He has already withdrawn recommendations for healthy children and pregnant women to receive Covid shots, and placed tighter restrictions on future approvals.
Moderna said its vaccine safety is closely monitored by regulators in more than 90 countries and that no new risks have been identified. Pfizer did not comment.
Broader safety debate
While multiple studies have shown mRNA vaccines to be safe and effective, rare side effects such as myocarditis in young men have been documented. Regulators stress there is no evidence that Covid vaccines cause pediatric deaths.
The Washington Post report indicates the claim is based on data from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), which collects unverified side-effect reports. Public health officials caution that VAERS entries require scientific investigation before any causal link can be determined.
FDA Commissioner Marty Makary recently told CNN that the agency is investigating potential child fatalities but has not released conclusive evidence. A formal report is expected in the coming weeks.
