The Trump administration has halted publication of two major government-funded studies confirming the safety of Covid-19 vaccines, triggering a fierce debate over political interference in public health.
According to the New York Times, the FDA ordered scientists in October to withdraw the studies-even though medical journals had already agreed to publish them. The research, which cost millions of taxpayer dollars, analyzed millions of patient medical records and concluded serious side effects from widely used vaccines are extremely rare.
HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon defended the move, saying the studies were withdrawn because their conclusions were "not supported by the underlying data" and that the FDA acted to "protect the integrity of the scientific process."
The controversy comes as anti-vaccine rhetoric gains influence within the Trump administration. During his 2024 campaign, Trump promised prominent anti-vaxxer Robert F. Kennedy Jr a leading health role. Kennedy, who promotes debunked claims linking vaccines to autism and embraces conspiracy theories, was narrowly confirmed as HHS Secretary in a party-line Senate vote.
Since taking office, Kennedy has forced the CDC to halt flu vaccine campaigns, ended the recommendation that newborns receive the hepatitis B vaccine, and dismissed the entire CDC Advisory Committee on Immunisation Practices.
Dr. Georges Benjamin, Executive Director of the American Public Health Association, called the move a "coup against health institutions," saying, "This is not how democracies work, and it is not good for the health of the nation."