Vaccine panel review sparks debate on safety data and future coverage for paediatric immunisation
A forthcoming presentation by US health officials could link Covid vaccines to the deaths of 25 children, a move that has already sent shockwaves through the pharmaceutical sector and raised questions about vaccine policy and risk assessment, according to reports from The Washington Post.
The Washington Post reports that Trump administration health officials intend to present this claim to the influential Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), which advises the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on vaccine recommendations—a process that can directly impact vaccine access and insurance coverage.
The claim reportedly relies on data from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), a database that collects unverified reports of adverse events from a range of sources, including patients and healthcare providers.
The CDC cautions that VAERS is not designed to determine causality, and only thorough scientific investigation can establish whether a vaccine caused or contributed to a reported outcome.
The news has already affected markets: shares of Pfizer fell more than 3 percent, Moderna dropped over 7 percent, and Novavax slid more than 4 percent, as reported by CNBC.
Moderna responded by stating that the safety of its vaccine is “rigorously monitored” by the company, the FDA, and regulators in over 90 countries, and that no new or undisclosed safety concerns have been identified in children or pregnant women across multiple jurisdictions, including Canada.
While the presentation to ACIP is not final, and the full methodology remains unclear, the discussion comes amid a broader review of vaccine recommendations in the US.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has already moved to halt recommendations for Covid shots in healthy children and pregnant women.
The CDC now advises parents to consult a physician before vaccinating their children.
FDA Commissioner Marty Makary confirmed to CNN that the agency is conducting an “intense investigation” into reports of possible child deaths following Covid vaccination, including reviewing autopsy reports and interviewing families.
However, he did not provide specific data linking paediatric deaths to the vaccine, instead referencing self-reported incidents in the VAERS database.
Numerous studies have shown that mRNA vaccines, such as those from Pfizer and Moderna, are safe and effective, with serious side effects occurring only in extremely rare cases.
Researchers have noted a rare but elevated risk of myocarditis in young men, but no evidence links current vaccines to paediatric deaths.
Global surveillance data continue to indicate that the benefits of Covid vaccination outweigh the risks for children, as noted by multiple regulatory agencies.
The CDC’s own data, presented in June, showed that at least 25 children died following covid-associated hospitalisations since July 2023, with none of the 16 children eligible for vaccination being up-to-date on their shots.
The American Academy of Pediatrics continues to recommend annual coronavirus vaccines for young children and for older children whose parents seek protection.
