Senator says leaked texts show Fauci raised concerns about mRNA vaccine miscarriage risk
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Sen. Ron Johnson released excerpts from Dr. Anthony Fauci's former government phone that suggest he privately voiced worries that mRNA COVID-19 vaccines could be linked to first-trimester miscarriages, a view he says differs from his public statements.
Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., said a set of text messages from Dr. Anthony Fauci’s former HHS iPhone indicate the former top health official privately expressed concerns that mRNA COVID-19 vaccines might be associated with miscarriages in early pregnancy. Johnson released the excerpts as part of a Senate investigation into Fauci’s communications while he was director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
The messages, dated January 2021, show Fauci discussing with then-CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky and Dr. Vivek Murthy the possibility that cytokine responses and fever after a second vaccine dose could theoretically increase the risk of miscarriage in the first trimester.
"I asked around a bit more and another issue came up that you need to be aware of," Fauci wrote. "Since many people have significant cytokine storm and fever after the 2nd dose, this theoretically could be associated with miscarriage in the 1st trimester."
Johnson contrasted the private comment with public guidance that encouraged vaccination of pregnant women. He cited a 2021 New England Journal of Medicine study that reported 104 miscarriages among 827 vaccinated pregnancies, noting that most of the miscarriages occurred in the 127 women who received the vaccine in the first or second trimester. Johnson calculated an 82% miscarriage rate for that subgroup, though the calculation has been disputed by medical experts.
The senator said the investigation is ongoing and that additional communications may reveal further discrepancies between private remarks and public statements. He emphasized the importance of transparent information for public safety and informed consent.
The law firm representing Dr. Fauci has not responded to requests for comment.