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US FDA Memo Links 10 Child Deaths to COVID-19 Vaccination, NYT Reports
A New York Times report says an internal US FDA memo suggests at least 10 child deaths may be linked to COVID-19 vaccination, citing myocarditis as a possible cause. The memo, authored by FDA’s chief medical and scientific officer, calls for stricter vaccine monitoring.
NYT: Internal US FDA Memo Suggests 10 Child Deaths Potentially Linked to COVID-19 Vaccination
An internal memo from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration indicates that at least 10 children may have died due to complications potentially connected to COVID-19 vaccination, with myocarditis—or inflammation of the heart—identified as a possible factor, The New York Times reported on Friday.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the FDA, did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment outside business hours.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has recently enacted a major shift in federal vaccine policy, limiting access to COVID-19 vaccines to people aged 65 and older and to individuals with underlying health conditions. Kennedy, a longtime critic of vaccines before taking the nation’s top health post under President Donald Trump, has previously claimed a link between vaccines and autism and has pushed for a complete overhaul of U.S. immunization policy.
During both the Trump administration—when the pandemic first erupted—and the subsequent Biden administration, U.S. health authorities repeatedly described COVID-19 vaccines as lifesaving tools.
According to The New York Times, the FDA memo—written by Vinay Prasad, the agency’s chief medical and scientific officer—did not reveal the ages or medical histories of the children involved, nor did it identify the vaccine manufacturers.
Prasad reportedly described the findings as “a major revelation” and announced plans to tighten vaccine surveillance, including implementing random studies across all subgroups.
The Times noted that the FDA’s new review has not been published in any peer-reviewed medical journal. It also reported that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine advisory committee is scheduled to meet next week.
Prasad, an oncologist and vocal critic of U.S. COVID-19 vaccine and mask mandates, resumed his role as FDA chief medical and scientific officer in September. In this position, he advises the FDA commissioner and senior leadership on emerging scientific issues that may affect regulatory science and public health.
