Officials with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration blocked the publication of several studies supporting the safety of COVID-19 and shingles vaccines, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
An HHS spokesperson said the studies were withdrawn because regulators believed the authors reached conclusions that were not fully supported by the underlying data.
“The FDA acted to protect the integrity of its scientific process and ensure that any work associated with the agency meets its high standards,” HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon said in a statement to Reuters.
The move marks another major development in the federal government’s evolving vaccine policies under Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has long expressed skepticism about vaccines and vaccine mandates.
Critics say the decision reflects broader efforts by the Trump administration to limit public confidence in vaccines and reduce federal involvement in vaccine development and promotion.
Last year, federal officials announced plans to phase out nearly $500 million in mRNA vaccine development funding, canceling dozens of projects overseen by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority.
In another controversial step, a vaccine advisory panel connected to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention voted to remove the preservative thimerosal from flu vaccines despite decades of research supporting its safety.
The blocked studies involved vaccines produced by major pharmaceutical companies, including [GSK](https://www.gsk.com?utm_source=chatgpt.com), maker of the shingles vaccine Shingrix, along with [Pfizer](https://www.pfizer.com?utm_source=chatgpt.com) and [Moderna](https://www.modernatx.com?utm_source=chatgpt.com), leading manufacturers of COVID-19 vaccines.
Federal health officials have not publicly identified the specific studies that were withheld from publication or indicated whether revised versions could eventually be released.
Source: Reuters