Reports claim the Trump administration plans to accuse the COVID-19 vaccine of causing the death of 25 children, causing shares of Pfizer Inc. (PFE.US) and Moderna (MRNA.US) to plummet.

On Friday, shares of Pfizer Inc. (PFE.US) and Moderna (MRNA.US) both fell, following reports that health officials in the Trump administration plan to present a case to a key vaccine advisory committee under the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) next week linking the COVID-19 vaccine to 25 cases of children's deaths. Foreign media cited sources saying that this accusation will be included in the presentation to be submitted next week. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is responsible for reviewing vaccine data and making vaccination recommendations, covering aspects such as vaccine accessibility, eligibility for vaccination, and whether insurance companies should cover it, and its decisions have a significant impact on vaccine policy making. However, the report also pointed out that the presentation has not been finalized yet. In response to this news, Pfizer Inc. stock fell by 3.98% on Friday, Moderna's stock plummeted by 7.4%, and Novavax, Inc. (NVAX.US), which is developing a protein-based COVID-19 vaccine, also fell by 3.62%. This report comes at a time when Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is pushing for major changes to US vaccine policy. He has previously canceled official recommendations for healthy children and pregnant women to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, and has imposed more restrictions on the approval of new vaccines. Moderna emphasized in a statement that the safety of its vaccine is being closely monitored by the company, the FDA, and regulatory agencies in more than 90 countries worldwide. Currently, systematic monitoring in the US, Australia, Canada, and Europe has not found "any new or undisclosed safety concerns," especially in children and pregnant women. Pfizer Inc. has not responded to requests for comment. A large number of studies have shown that the mRNA technology vaccines produced by Pfizer Inc. and Moderna are safe and effective, with serious adverse reactions being extremely rare. Researchers have pointed out that there is a slight increase in the risk of myocarditis in young males, but there is currently no evidence that these vaccines cause other significant safety risks, including children's deaths. Global monitoring data shows that the health benefits of COVID-19 vaccination in children far outweigh the risks. According to reports, the accusations made by the Trump administration seem to be based on data submitted to VAERS. VAERS is a system authorized by the FDA to monitor vaccine safety, collecting self-reports from patients, doctors, and pharmacists. However, these reports are not verified, and it is only after in-depth investigation by scientists and public health officials that it can be determined whether the vaccine actually caused or contributed to an adverse event. Last week, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary stated in an interview that the FDA is "investigating deeply" whether the COVID-19 vaccine is related to children's deaths. He did not provide specific data but acknowledged that cases of children dying after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine have been found in safety monitoring databases. Makary said, "We do know through a review of self-reporting databases that cases have occurred where children have died after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine." He also added that the FDA will release related investigation reports in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, Kennedy stated in a Senate hearing last week that he supports the view of a new member of a key government vaccine group that mRNA vaccines pose a serious risk to humans.