Topline<\/p>\n
A pair of Republican senators investigating Dr. Anthony Fauci\u2019s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic while he was in government service released a handful of texts he sent and received in 2021 discussing whether the vaccine may be linked to miscarriages\u2014but several studies have since shown there is no known link between vaccination and pregnancy complications.<\/p>\n
A handful of Fauci’s texts from January 2021 were made public by Republican senators Monday evening. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Getty ImagesKey Facts<\/p>\n
Longtime Fauci critic, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., released 11 texts<\/a> between Fauci and Rochelle Walensky, then-director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Vivek Murthy, surgeon general under the Biden administration, on Monday evening, which the senators said is the first of an upcoming trove of releases.<\/p>\n In the January 2021 text conversation, Fauci said there is \u201cno data or theoretical reason\u201d suggesting getting a COVID-19 vaccine earlier versus later in pregnancy is preferable, noting in a follow-up text since \u201cmany people have significant cytokines storm and fever after the 2nd dose, this theoretically could be associated with miscarriage in the 1st trimester.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDefinitely a good point, esp after dose two,\u201d Walensky responded, while Fauci said pregnant women should \u201cweigh the potential risks\u201d since there is a lack of data, though he noted COVID-19 infection can be serious during pregnancy and that thousands of pregnant women had been vaccinated with no issues reported.<\/p>\n Murthy said he was \u201csurprised\u201d the World Health Organization in January 2021 recommended against<\/a> the Moderna vaccine, citing a lack of data as pregnant women were not included in clinical trials, saying the recommendation could be \u201cquite damaging to public confidence among pregnant women.\u201d<\/p>\n Paul and Johnson have presented the texts as evidence that Fauci deceived the public about the COVID-19 vaccines, with Paul accusing him in a post<\/a> on X of putting \u201cwomen and their unborn children at risk instead of admitting that he was wrong about the vaccines.\u201d<\/p>\n Numerous studies, though, have found that there is no known link between COVID-19 vaccinations and pregnancy complications, and the CDC recommended<\/a> pregnant women get the vaccine seven months after Fauci\u2019s text exchange with Murthy and Walensky.<\/p>\n What Does The Science Say About Vaccinations For Pregnant Women?<\/p>\n When the CDC recommended pregnant women get vaccinated in August 2021, the agency cited<\/a> a growing amount of data that showed pregnant women who had gotten vaccinated showed no signs of an increased risk for miscarriage. \u201cI would say if you’re pregnant, not only is it a good idea to get the vaccine on the basis of safety, but it’s highly effective and important because you are at increased risk of bad outcomes if you get COVID,” Murthy said in a statement at the time. Numerous studies conducted since have shown no link between COVID-19 vaccination and pregnancy complications. \u201cThere was no evidence of a higher risk of adverse outcomes including miscarriage,\u201d a May 2022 peer-reviewed study published in Nature<\/a> found, based on an analysis of 117,552 COVID-19 vaccinated pregnant people. Another study<\/a>, published in February 2023 based on nearly 150,000 pregnant women, concluded there is \u201cno evidence that COVID-19 vaccines are associated with an increased risk of miscarriage.\u201d The CDC\u2019s current vaccination recommendations<\/a> for pregnant women say there is no link known between COVID-19 vaccines and increased health risks for pregnant women or their babies, noting pregnant women who contract the virus \u201care at increased risk of complications that can affect your health and the health of your baby.\u201d<\/p>\n what to watch for<\/p>\n Paul and Johnson said<\/a> they plan to release more of the 34,000 texts and 522 voicemails found on Fauci\u2019s government-issued phone, which they obtained from the Department of Health and Human Services. They said it will \u201ctake time to carefully review the large volume of information the senators received\u201d and will \u201cwork diligently and cooperatively to release relevant information to the public as soon as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n chief critics<\/p>\n The texts enraged Fauci\u2019s critics, who have grown louder after Paul released more than 1,000 pages of Fauci\u2019s diary entries and solicited testimony from him in July, where he pleaded the fifth more than 100 times. \u201cOnce again, Anthony Fauci was saying one thing in public and something completely different in private,\u201d Paul said<\/a> on X. Billionaire Bill Ackman said in a post, \u201cWTF was he thinking?\u201d saying<\/a> his wife had \u201cseven miscarriages trying to have a second child during Covid.\u201d <\/p>\n key background<\/p>\n Paul, chair of the Senate\u2019s Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committee, has ramped up his probe into Fauci in recent weeks. During Fauci\u2019s late July testimony<\/a>, he delivered prepared remarks saying he would decline to answer questions by invoking his Fifth Amendment rights, accusing Paul of an \u201cobvious obsession with calling for my prosecution\u201d and of making \u201crepeated slanderous comments about me.\u201d Paul warned Fauci it is against the law to obstruct a congressional investigation, and he led a committee vote that held Fauci in contempt of Congress<\/a> last week. Democrats on the committee have largely criticized Paul and accused him of conducting a partisan investigation, with ranking Democrat Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., saying Paul led a \u201cone-sided investigation and a rushed process\u201d that could \u201charm our ability to conduct future investigations.\u201d<\/p>\n further reading<\/p>\n Senate Committee Passes Fauci Contempt Resolution\u2014Fauci\u2019s Lawyer Calls It \u2018Meritless\u2019<\/a> (Forbes)<\/p>\n