Officials at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have blocked the publication of several studies that supported the safety of widely used vaccines against COVID-19 and shingles in recent months, a spokesman for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) confirmed on May 5, 2026.
The studies, which had been submitted for peer review, found no increased risk of serious adverse events associated with the vaccines. The HHS spokesman stated that the FDA's actions were under review, but did not provide specific reasons for the block. The confirmation came after reports from multiple news outlets, including Reuters and The New York Times, cited internal documents and interviews with researchers.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, commented that such interference could undermine public trust in vaccine safety. The FDA has not yet issued a formal response to the allegations.
