Pfizer, Moderna, Novavax shares sink as Trump officials likely plan to link Covid vaccines to child deaths

Pfizer’s stock fell more than 3 percent, Moderna dropped over 7 percent, and Novavax slid more than 4 percent

Pfizer and Moderna shares slumped Friday after The Washington Post reported that the Trump administration health officials plan to link coronavirus vaccines to the deaths of 25 children.

Pfizer’s stock fell more than 3 percent, Moderna dropped over 7 percent, and Novavax slid more than 4 percent, according to CNBC. The selloff followed news that the claim will be presented next week to the CDC’s influential vaccine advisory panel, which sets U.S. immunisation policy.

The controversial claim

Officials intend to cite pediatric deaths flagged in the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), a federal database of unverified self-reports on vaccine side effects, The Washington Post reported. The CDC has repeatedly cautioned that VAERS alone cannot establish a causal link between vaccines and deaths.

FDA Commissioner Marty Makary confirmed to CNN that investigations are underway, including autopsy reviews and family interviews, but stressed the process could take months.

Scientists warn of misinformation

Career scientists told The Washington Post they are alarmed. Extensive studies show Covid vaccines are safe for children, they argue, while the dangers of the virus itself are being downplayed.

CDC data presented in June showed at least 25 children died after Covid-related hospitalizations since July 2023 — and none of the vaccine-eligible children were up to date on their shots.

“They are leveraging this platform to share untruths about vaccines to scare people,” said Noel Brewer, a public health professor and former CDC adviser.

What the CDC panel decides

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) will meet next week to review the new claims and update vaccine recommendations. Its decisions carry weight: they affect who gets access to vaccines, whether insurers must cover them, and how doctors and pharmacies respond.

Two policy paths are under consideration, The Washington Post reported:

Recommend vaccines mainly for those 75 and older.

Restrict younger adults without preexisting conditions from routine vaccination.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has long criticised Covid vaccines, has already directed officials to stop recommending shots for healthy children.

Moderna pushes back, global data reassures

In response, Moderna said its vaccine safety is 'rigorously monitored' by regulators in more than 90 countries and that no new safety risks have been detected in children or pregnant women, CNBC said in a report. Pfizer did not respond to requests for comment.

Global research continues to show mRNA vaccines are safe, with myocarditis in young men being the only consistent rare risk identified.

Pediatrician Harleen Marwah, who recently reviewed vaccine data for the Vaccine Integrity Project, said: “Studies since June have identified no new safety concerns.”