Senator Ron Johnson, R-Wis., has released text messages from Dr. Anthony Fauci's government phone indicating that U.S. health officials were aware of concerns regarding the safety of COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy. The documents, which Johnson's committee is reviewing as part of an examination into the federal government's handling of COVID-19 vaccine safety information, appear to contradict public statements made by Fauci about vaccine safety.
One text message, dated January 25, 2021, from Dr. John Mascola, then-director of the Vaccine Research Center under the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), to Fauci stated, "I am corrected on pregnancy studies. Initial Studies avoid vaccination in first trimester due to possible fever and higher rates of miscarriage in first trimester."
Johnson suggested these messages raise questions about the information Fauci received and when it was disseminated. Johnson's team also revealed an email Fauci received on May 27, 2021, from Dr. Janet Woodcock, then-commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which noted "adverse events" following COVID-19 vaccination and called for a study. Johnson accused Fauci of not acting on this information promptly.
"We see time and time again, these government officials, whose responsibility was to surveil for safety signals, weren't doing their job," Johnson stated. "When they saw something, they covered it up."
Fauci's attorney declined a request for him to testify before a second Senate panel, arguing that it would constitute harassment for political purposes. Fauci had previously invoked the Fifth Amendment multiple times during a July 29 Senate hearing.
These newly released communications add another layer to the ongoing Republican investigations into the federal government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the handling of vaccine safety data.