FDA Broadens COVID-19 Vaccine Safety Probe to Adults Under New Health Leadership
The U.S. FDA has expanded its safety inquiry into COVID-19 vaccines to assess whether the shots may have contributed to deaths among adults, broadening an initial review that focused on pediatric cases.
The probe spans multiple FDA divisions and is being conducted across several age groups, according to an FDA spokesperson.
The move comes as Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a long-time critic of vaccine safety and effectiveness, serves as U.S. Health and Human Services secretary and challenges longstanding federal vaccine recommendations.
A recent internal FDA memo reportedly outlined stricter future vaccine approval standards and asserted, without evidence, that at least 10 child deaths followed COVID-19 vaccinations, drawing criticism from some public health experts.
Public health experts warn that the broadened FDA review, combined with Kennedy’s rhetoric, could undermine public trust in vaccines, even as scientific consensus holds that the vaccines are safe and have prevented millions of deaths globally.
Recent studies cited note that while rare, some severe myocarditis cases following vaccination have been documented, including one fatal case in a U.S. study and a small number of severe cases in a large Israeli cohort of 5.1 million vaccinated individuals.