Ex-FDA officials slam leaked memo linking Covid vaccines to child deaths

WASHINGTON, Dec 4 — Twelve former US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials voiced “deep concern” on Wednesday over potential changes to vaccine policy following the leak of a document alleging a link between Covid-19 vaccines and child deaths.

Their statement, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, came days after an internal FDA memo surfaced, questioning Covid-19 vaccine safety and suggesting revisions to current regulatory procedures.

“We are deeply concerned by the FDA’s sweeping new claims about vaccine safety and proposals that would undermine a regulatory framework built to ensure vaccines remain safe, effective, and available when the public needs them,” wrote the group of doctors, all of whom previously held senior FDA roles under both Democratic and Republican administrations.

The situation unfolds as US President Donald Trump has placed national health policy under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, a well-known vaccine skeptic who has long promoted conspiracy theories about vaccines.

The leaked memo, authored by current FDA senior official Vinay Prasad, claimed that Covid-19 vaccines were associated with the deaths of at least 10 children, citing an unpublished internal analysis. It also called for a review of approval procedures for several vaccines, including influenza shots.

Global health authorities continue to affirm that Covid-19 vaccines are safe, effective, and provide protection against severe disease.

According to the former FDA officials, “the memo provided no clarity on the methods or analyses used to reach this new retrospective conclusion, nor did it explain why such an assessment should justify a sweeping overhaul of vaccine regulation.”

Kennedy has overhauled federal health agencies since taking office, implementing widespread layoffs and appointing controversial figures to top positions. He has long promoted questionable claims embraced by followers of his “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) movement, a key faction within Trump’s broader Make America Great Again (MAGA) coalition.

The Department of Health and Human Services and the FDA did not respond to AFP’s requests for comments regarding the leaked memo. — AFP