MUMBAI– Shares of major U.S. vaccine makers fell sharply after reports surfaced that federal health officials plan to present data linking pediatric deaths to Covid-19 vaccinations at an upcoming policy meeting.
Pfizer stock declined more than 3 percent, Moderna plunged over 7 percent, and Novavax shed more than 4 percent in overnight trading. The selloff followed a Washington Post report that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) vaccine advisory committee will review claims next week connecting 25 child deaths to coronavirus vaccines.
The cases were flagged in the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), a federal database that collects self-reported side effects. The CDC has consistently cautioned that VAERS entries are unverified and cannot establish causation.
The reported move has unsettled career scientists, who argue that peer-reviewed studies show Covid-19 vaccines remain safe for children, and that risks tied to the virus itself continue to outweigh vaccine concerns. CDC data from June indicated at least 25 children had died following Covid-related hospitalizations since July 2023, with none fully up to date on vaccinations.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is scheduled to meet next week to evaluate the claims and consider possible adjustments to vaccine recommendations. One option reportedly under review is limiting routine vaccination for younger adults without preexisting conditions.
Vaccine makers pushed back swiftly. Moderna said its product is “rigorously monitored” in more than 90 countries and that regulators have identified no new safety risks in children or pregnant women.
Separately, a large-scale study published in JAMA Pediatrics this year tracked more than 10 million children aged 5 to 11 and found Pfizer’s and Moderna’s mRNA vaccines reduced both infection and hospitalization risks compared with unvaccinated children.
The unfolding debate introduces a new layer of uncertainty for pharmaceutical companies that once saw Covid-19 vaccines as reliable revenue drivers. Analysts warn that any policy shift in the U.S. could have significant commercial implications for vaccine uptake worldwide. (Source: IANS)
