FDA, Trump Administration Expected to Link COVID Vaccines to 25 Child Deaths at CDC Panel

The Trump administration, led by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and FDA Director Marty Makary, is preparing to present data linking the COVID-19 vaccine to the deaths of 25 children at an upcoming CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) meeting. The data is derived from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), a tool that allows anyone to report adverse events but whose reports are unverified and not designed to establish causality. Despite CDC warnings about VAERS limitations, the administration is pursuing an investigation into these deaths, with Makary describing it as an "intense investigation." Kennedy has significantly reshaped the ACIP by appointing members critical of existing vaccine policies and has replaced the CDC director, signaling a major policy shift. The administration's stance has drawn sharp criticism from media outlets like The Washington Post, which stress the lack of scientific verification and caution against misinterpreting VAERS data. The forthcoming CDC recommendations will influence vaccine protocols amid the approaching U.S. flu season, with some states requiring panel approval for vaccine administration by pharmacists.