Newly released text messages from Dr. Anthony Fauci's government-issued phone indicate he privately raised a theoretical risk of miscarriage associated with COVID-19 mRNA vaccine reactions, days before publicly stating that thousands of vaccinated pregnant women had shown no safety concerns.
The messages, made public by Sens. Ron Johnson and Rand Paul, show Fauci discussing fever and other immune reactions with then-CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky and Dr. Vivek Murthy on January 25, 2021. In the exchange, Fauci wrote that such reactions "theoretically could be associated with miscarriage in the 1st trimester."
Walensky responded that it was "definitely a good point, esp after dose two," and Murthy called Fauci's observation "a really good point."
Despite this private discussion, Fauci made public statements in the following days emphasizing vaccine safety for pregnant individuals. On February 3, 2021, he stated during an interview with the Journal of the American Medical Association that the FDA had found "no red flags" regarding pregnant women receiving the vaccine. He reiterated this reassurance on February 10, 2021, during a White House briefing, noting that approximately 20,000 pregnant women had been vaccinated without officials observing "no red flags."
The released messages do not indicate that officials discovered an increased risk of miscarriage. Rather, they suggest a discussion of a potential, theoretical concern at a time when data on pregnant individuals receiving the vaccines was still limited.
Months later, on August 30, 2021, Fauci continued to emphasize the lack of adverse safety signals. In an article published by What to Expect, he stated that "tens and tens and tens of thousands" of pregnant women had been monitored post-vaccination and that there was "no indication whatsoever" of increased adverse outcomes compared to unvaccinated pregnant women.
Sen. Ron Johnson stated that the released text chain "could have an immediate impact on public health and the principle of informed consent."