Eleven text messages from a larger set of more than 34,000 show Dr. Anthony Fauci privately raised in January 2021 a theoretical concern that post-vaccine fevers or cytokine storms could be linked to first‑trimester miscarriage. A week later, he reported regulators had found no red flags and that vaccine benefits outweighed risks. Critics, including Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, called the disclosures "shocking" and questioned public assurances given amid uncertainty. Public health agencies say ongoing monitoring has not linked COVID‑19 vaccination during pregnancy to increased risks.
Released Fauci Texts Raise Concerns About Vaccine Risks In Pregnancy; Critics Call Them 'Shocking'
Eleven text messages, selected from a larger cache of more than 34,000 records released by two Senate Republicans, show Dr. Anthony Fauci privately discussing potential vaccine-related side effects in pregnant women in January 2021 — more than a month after COVID-19 vaccines became publicly available.
In an exchange with then–Surgeon General Vivek Murthy and then–CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, Fauci wrote:
"I asked around a bit and more and since many people have significant cytokine storms and fever after the second dose, this theoretically could be associated with miscarriage in the first trimester."
About a week later, Fauci sent another message saying the FDA had found no red flags among pregnant participants in the COVID-19 vaccine trials and that the vaccines' benefits outweighed any potential risks.
Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, a physician and public commentator who has been critical of some pandemic policies, described the released texts as "kind of shocking" during an interview on "Elizabeth Vargas Reports." Bhattacharya said the messages raised questions about how public officials communicated safety assurances for pregnant women while scientific understanding was still evolving.
A copy of Fauci's pandemic-era cellphone was recently turned over to a congressional investigative panel seeking additional records about his role during the pandemic and inquiries into the virus's origins.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that "COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy has not been linked to increased health risks for pregnant women or babies" and that vaccination helps reduce the risk of severe illness from COVID-19. Subsequent monitoring and peer-reviewed studies have generally not found evidence that COVID-19 vaccination increases the risk of miscarriage, though public health agencies continue to monitor safety data closely.
These revelations have reignited debate about transparency, risk communication and how health officials balanced emerging scientific uncertainty with public guidance during the pandemic. The messages released are a small subset of a much larger trove, and their selection and context have been subjects of political and public scrutiny.
Help us improve.
