So it wasn’t that long ago that Fauci was publicly reassuring pregnant women that there were no red flags about getting the COVID vaccine.
“Approximately 20,000 pregnant women have been vaccinated with no red flags, as we say, and this is being monitored by the CDC and the FDA.”
- Dr. Anthony Fauci
Ah, yes, I remember that time. Well, newly released texts from Fauci’s government phone show that privately he and other Biden administration health officials were discussing potential risk, including miscarriages. But we only know all this thanks to Senator Ron Johnson’s office, who’s been reviewing more than 34,000 text messages and 522 voicemails from Fauci’s government issued phone.
This follows the first release, which includes a January of 2021 conversation between Fauci and then CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, we remember them, and then Surgeon General Vivek Murthy.
“An 82% miscarriage rate with women who got the injection in the first, second trimester. I mean, that is shocking. And they knew it. They knew it. They’re not that stupid. They’re just that devious.”
Senator Ron Johnson
In one of the exchanges, Murthy asked whether officials had data on the safety of vaccination during pregnancy. Walensky responded that her understanding was that the issue was essentially data free. To no surprise, Fauci initially said there was no reason to be concerned, but two hours later after consulting with others he sent this message:
“Since many people have significant cytokines storm and fever after the 2nd dose, this theoretically could be associated with miscarriage in the 1st trimester.”
Walensky in response to Fauci, said “definitely a good point, especially after dose number two.” And Murthy raised another concern, saying he had heard questions about mRNA causing mutations in a developing fetus.
But just months earlier, federal health officials were publicly urging pregnant women to get vaccinated. And by August, Fauci was publicly saying tens of thousands of pregnant women had been followed and that there was no indication whatsoever of an increase in adverse issues.
But to state the obvious, the contrast raises serious questions about how officials communicated uncertainty to the public, especially when the private messages show they were discussing potential risk.
And let’s just say this isn’t the first time Fauci has faced questions about what he knew and when he knew it. But we’ll plead the fifth.
Just recently, Fauci has faced congressional scrutiny over his handling of the pandemic, and now lawmakers are just now digging through tens of thousands of messages from his government phone.
Johnson’s office says it’s still reviewing the record, so we don’t know everything contained in the phone, but these first messages show something important.
The public conversation about COVID vaccines and pregnancy was far more certain than the private conversations happening behind the scenes.
Thanks, Fauci.
Enjoyed this post? If so, please consider subscribing to State of the Day or sharing this with a friend. You’d be supporting this newsletter and helping keep independent journalism alive.
