The Food and Drug Administration withdrew the publication of research studies tracking the safety of COVID-19 and shingles vaccines. A Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson confirmed the removal on May 5, 2026, stating the agency acted to preserve the integrity of its scientific review process.
Agency Cites Data Integrity
HHS officials explained that the studies were pulled because the researchers drew broad conclusions that were not supported by the underlying data. The FDA emphasized that maintaining rigorous standards for published research is essential to public trust in federal health guidance.
This action occurs as HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. continues to reshape federal vaccine policy. Kennedy has previously expressed skepticism regarding vaccine safety and efficacy, calling the COVID-19 vaccine the “deadliest vaccine ever made” during a December 2021 meeting with the Louisiana House of Representatives. During his confirmation hearings last year, he also claimed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approved COVID-19 vaccines without a scientific basis.
Criticism From Public Health Officials
Public health experts have pushed back against the administration’s approach to vaccine research and policy. Dr. Fiona Havers criticized the department’s handling of scientific literature, stating that “HHS leaders now have a clear pattern of blocking high-quality studies that include results that don’t support their overall anti-vaccine narrative.”
The CDC maintains that the shingles vaccine is safe and not associated with serious adverse events. Despite this, the FDA’s decision to withdraw the specific safety tracking studies highlights ongoing tensions between federal health agencies and the current administration’s regulatory direction.
Broader Policy Shifts Under Kennedy
The withdrawal of these studies follows a series of significant changes to federal vaccine programs under Secretary Kennedy. In August, Kennedy announced the cancellation of at least $500 million in federally funded mRNA vaccine development. Experts had previously noted potential future applications for mRNA technology, including cancer and HIV vaccines.
Kennedy also removed all 17 members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. A federal judge later stayed votes taken by Kennedy-nominated committee members earlier this year. Those stayed votes included removing the universal recommendation for the hepatitis B shot at birth and narrowing recommendations for the combined MMRV shot, which protects against measles, mumps, rubella, and chickenpox.
Additionally, a judge temporarily blocked changes to the childhood vaccine schedule implemented at the beginning of this year. Kennedy had reduced the number of recommended childhood shots from 17 to 11, a move that drew significant legal and medical scrutiny. The Supreme Court recently left standing a ruling on healthcare worker vaccine mandates, further complicating the landscape for federal immunization policy.
What Comes Next
The FDA has not specified when or if revised versions of the withdrawn studies will be published. The agency’s emphasis on data integrity suggests that any future publications must align more closely with the raw findings rather than broader interpretive claims. Meanwhile, legal challenges to Kennedy’s vaccine schedule changes remain active, with courts weighing in on the authority of federal health officials to alter long-standing immunization recommendations.
For Idaho families and healthcare providers, these developments underscore the shifting nature of federal vaccine guidance. The state’s own health policies may need to adapt as federal recommendations fluctuate amid ongoing legal and administrative reviews.