By Illinois Review
Newly released text messages reveal that Dr. Anthony Fauci privately raised concerns in January 2021 that the second dose of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine “theoretically could be associated with miscarriage in the 1st trimester” as the federal government was rolling out the vaccines nationwide.
The messages, released Monday by Sens. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.), provide a rare look behind the scenes as some of the nation’s most powerful public health officials discussed potential risks of vaccinating pregnant women at a time when safety data remained limited.
The January 2021 exchange included Fauci, then-CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky and Dr. Vivek Murthy, who later became U.S. Surgeon General.
Murthy initially asked about the timing of vaccination during pregnancy and whether officials were aware of adverse outcomes.
Fauci first responded that there were “no data or theoretical reason” to favor vaccination earlier or later in pregnancy.
But Fauci then raised a concern about the significant immune response and fever that many people experienced following the second dose of an mRNA vaccine.
“The second dose of the mRNA vaccine often has significant cytokine-related symptoms associated with fever,” Fauci wrote, adding that it “theoretically could be associated with miscarriage in the 1st trimester.”
Walensky agreed the concern was worth considering.
“Definitely a good point, esp after dose two,” she responded.
Murthy called it “a really good point.”
The conversation continued the following day after Murthy alerted Fauci and Walensky that the World Health Organization was recommending against Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine for pregnant women because of limited available data.
Fauci responded by emphasizing that any potential vaccine risks had to be balanced against the dangers COVID-19 posed to pregnant women.
He noted that more than 10,000 pregnant women had already received COVID vaccines with “no issues” reported and pointed to guidance from the FDA, CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists that allowed pregnant women to make an individual decision about vaccination.
Fauci also cited animal studies that had not identified safety concerns.
The newly released texts reveal that Fauci and other senior health officials were privately discussing a possible miscarriage risk associated with the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine while safety data involving pregnant women remained limited.
Pregnant women had largely been excluded from the initial clinical trials.
Johnson highlighted Fauci’s comments Monday as he and Paul released the latest batch of records obtained from Fauci’s government-issued phone and related documents.
The senators’ investigation into the federal government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic remains ongoing.
The messages add another chapter to the scrutiny surrounding how federal health officials evaluated potential COVID vaccine risks behind closed doors – and how those uncertainties were communicated to the American public during the historic vaccine rollout.
