Newly released text messages from Dr. Anthony Fauci’s government-issued cellphone show senior U.S. public health officials privately discussing potential risks of COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy in early 2021, including a theoretical risk of miscarriage, months before health authorities were publicly urging pregnant women to get vaccinated.
The January 2021 exchange involved Fauci, then-CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky and Dr. Vivek Murthy, who later became U.S. surgeon general. Republican senators Ron Johnson and Rand Paul released the text messages as part of their review of approximately 34,000 texts and 522 voicemails recovered from Fauci’s government phone.
According to the release, Fauci raised the possibility that fever and inflammatory symptoms following a second vaccine dose could pose a risk during early pregnancy. Fauci wrote that the reaction “theoretically could be associated with miscarriage in the 1st trimester.” Walensky responded that it was “definitely a good point, esp after dose two.”
Murthy also told Fauci he had been hearing concerns about mRNA vaccines causing mutations in a developing fetus, although Fauci rejected the idea that an mRNA vaccine could alter a recipient’s genes. The following day, Murthy raised a then-current World Health Organization recommendation advising against Moderna vaccination for pregnant women due to limited data.
Fauci responded officials must weigh possible vaccine risks against the dangers of COVID-19. He noted more than 10,000 pregnant women had received vaccines without reported problems and that animal toxicology studies showed no red flags. Months later, public messaging to pregnant women became far more definitive globally.
In September 2021, Alberta Health Services urged pregnant individuals, those trying to become pregnant or recently delivered to receive both COVID vaccine doses “as soon as possible,” stating the vaccine is safe for pregnant individuals and their babies. Then-Alberta chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw also urged pregnant Albertans to get vaccinated after warning they faced high risks of serious illness from COVID-19, including documented cases where unvaccinated pregnant women died from infections.
The newly released correspondence occurred about eight months before Alberta’s messaging and during early vaccine rollout stages. Current NIH director Jay Bhattacharya criticized Fauci over the exchange, arguing Americans deserved greater transparency about private discussions. “Tony Fauci was out of his lane, and used that power to tell America one thing when he really thought another,” Bhattacharya said in an interview.
Johnson and Paul stated the released correspondence represents only part of the material recovered from Fauci’s government phone, with staff continuing review for additional relevant public health information.
