Vaccine Critic Tapped to Probe Military COVID Deaths; Fauci Defends Pandemic Response
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appointed Lt. Col. Theresa Long, who has questioned vaccine safety, to investigate unsubstantiated claims about military deaths after COVID vaccination. Anthony Fauci, in a two-hour interview, defended the pandemic response and rejected mRNA vaccine safety concerns. The roundup also covers funding cuts endangering virologist Bob Garry's work, a senator's past lawsuits against patients, and China's lower-cost CAR-T therapy.
Lt. Col. Theresa Long, newly appointed by HHS Secretary Kennedy, lacks formal training in vaccines or virology. She has previously testified that 28 service members died from COVID vaccines and that many more suffered pregnancy losses, while echoing claims linking vaccines to autism. Her appointment targets unsubstantiated military death reports.
In a separate development, Anthony Fauci gave a two-hour interview with Georgetown's Lawrence Gostin, defending early pandemic actions and dismissing mRNA vaccine safety concerns while criticizing global aid reductions. The broader roundup also highlights funding threats to virologist Bob Garry's Lassa fever work and China's lower-cost CAR-T cancer treatments.
The appointment of a vaccine skeptic to probe military deaths could shape public perception of vaccine safety, potentially eroding trust in official health guidance among service members and their families. Meanwhile, Fauci's robust defense may reinforce confidence in established science for some, but could deepen partisan divides. The outcome of this investigation may influence future vaccine policies and public health messaging.