Trump health officials are preparing to cite the deaths of 25 children in a presentation linking coronavirus vaccines to pediatric fatalities, according to four people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe confidential information. The move comes as officials weigh narrowing recommendations for who should receive the shots.
According to the Washington Post, the claims rely on the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), a database of unverified reports from patients, doctors, pharmacists, or others. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stresses that VAERS is not designed to prove a vaccine caused a death, a conclusion requiring extensive investigation.
The pediatric death claim is expected to be presented next week to the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), whose guidance determines access and insurance coverage for the shots.
The plan has alarmed career scientists who say coronavirus vaccines, including for children, have been extensively studied and that the dangers of the virus itself are being downplayed. In June, CDC staff told the same committee that at least 25 children had died following COVID-related hospitalizations since July 2023 — likely an undercount — and that none of the 16 children eligible for vaccination were up to date on their shots.
Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary confirmed last week on CNN that officials were reviewing reports of possible vaccine-linked child deaths, including autopsy records and family interviews. That process could take months, and it is unclear when it began.
One person familiar with the discussions said the pediatric death presentation is not final. “FDA and CDC staff routinely analyze VAERS and other safety monitoring data, and those reviews are being shared publicly through the established ACIP process,” HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon said in an email. “Any recommendations on updated COVID-19 vaccines will be based on gold standard science and deliberated transparently at ACIP next week.”
The FDA in August cleared the latest coronavirus vaccines for people 65 and older or those at risk of severe illness. But the CDC panel is weighing whether to recommend them only for people 75 and older or require younger patients to consult a doctor before receiving the shot. Another option would exclude those under 75 without preexisting conditions.
Limiting eligibility for people ages 65 to 74 has sparked concerns about political backlash, one federal health official said. CDC data shows 43 percent of that age group and 13 percent of children received the 2024–2025 shot.
Many countries do not recommend annual vaccination for healthy children, citing the low risk of death or severe illness. U.S. officials have justified broader access based on data showing infants and toddlers are at higher risk of hospitalization, many without underlying conditions, and that vaccines help guard against long COVID.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime vaccine critic, in May directed health officials to stop recommending coronavirus shots for otherwise healthy children. The CDC later told parents to consult doctors before vaccinating their children. The American Academy of Pediatrics, meanwhile, continues to recommend the shots for children 6 to 23 months old and supports vaccination for older children whose parents choose it.
The upcoming ACIP meeting is pivotal because its recommendations determine insurance coverage, pharmacy availability, and whether doctors will offer the vaccine. Kennedy, earlier this year, dismissed the panel’s previous members and replaced them with his own appointees, many of them critics of coronavirus vaccination. He is also considering additional appointments.
Even before Kennedy’s overhaul, the panel was moving toward narrower recommendations, prioritizing high-risk groups while allowing others, including children, to receive the vaccine voluntarily.
Tracy Beth Hoeg, a top FDA deputy to Makary who opposed broad childhood vaccination before joining the agency, has been among those reviewing vaccine safety data, according to five people familiar with the matter.
The pediatric death presentation reportedly includes interviews with some families, though details of the methodology remain unclear. CDC officials had previously interviewed some of the same families as part of vaccine safety monitoring.
Moderna, one of the main manufacturers, said data worldwide show the benefits outweigh the risks. “With more than one billion doses distributed globally, these systems — in the U.S., Australia, Canada and across European national health systems — have not identified any new or undisclosed safety concerns in children or in pregnant women,” the company said in a statement.
Harleen Marwah, a pediatrician at Mass General Brigham for Children who reviewed coronavirus vaccine safety data for the Vaccine Integrity Project, said new studies since June identified “no new safety concerns.”
The CDC has monitored vaccine safety since the first shots rolled out under the FDA’s emergency authority. In June, CDC data showed death rates after mRNA vaccination were lower than those of the general population.
Noel Brewer, a University of North Carolina professor and former CDC vaccine adviser dismissed by Kennedy, said the government’s new posture undermines trust.
“They are leveraging this platform to share untruths about vaccines to scare people,” Brewer said. “The U.S. government is now in the business of vaccine misinformation.”