Health
F.D.A. Blocked Publication of Research Finding Covid and Shingles Vaccines Were Safe
Officials at the Food and Drug Administration have blocked publication of several studies supporting the safety of widely used vaccines against Covid-19 and shingles in recent months, a spokesman for the Department of Health and Human Services confirmed.
The studies, which cost millions of dollars in public funds, were conducted by scientists at the agency, who worked with data firms to analyze millions of patient records. They found serious side effects to be very rare.
In October, the scientists were directed to withdraw two Covid-19 vaccine studies that had been accepted for publication in medical journals. In February, top F.D.A. officials did not sign off on submitting abstracts about studies of Shingrix, a shingles vaccine, to a major drug safety conference.
The withdrawal of the studies is the latest step by the administration to try to limit access to vaccines. It has sharply cut research funding for vaccine development, released unvetted information casting doubt on vaccines, and blocked other information supporting their safety, most recently a paper on Covid vaccine effectiveness by career scientists from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Asked about the withdrawal of the Covid vaccine safety studies, Andrew Nixon, a spokesman for the Department of Health and Human Services, said in an email: “The studies were withdrawn because the authors drew broad conclusions that were not supported by the underlying data. The F.D.A. acted to protect the integrity of its scientific process and ensure that any work associated with the agency meets its high standards.”
Of the shingles study that found the vaccine to be effective, he said, “The design of that study fell outside the agency’s purview.” He did not address a question about the Shingrix safety study, which found the vaccine to be safe.
A senior administration official said the decisions about the research had not reached Dr. Marty Makary, the F.D.A. commissioner, or Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Dr. Vinay Prasad was the head of the F.D.A. vaccine office at the time. Dr. Prasad, who recently left the agency, did not respond to a request for comment.
Last June, Mr. Kennedy’s office asked career C.D.C. staff members to delete from the agency’s website a 17-page summary supporting the safety of thimerosal, an additive largely removed from vaccines 25 years ago. Career scientists were later called into Health and Human Services legal offices and grilled about how the summary had been posted in the first place, they previously told The New York Times.
In posts on a website and on social media in August, Mr. Kennedy called for a prominent journal to “immediately retract” a large Danish study concluding that the vaccine additive aluminum salts was safe. Dr. Christine Laine, the editor in chief of the journal, Annals of Internal Medicine, said Mr. Kennedy did not directly contact the journal seeking a retraction. The study was not retracted.
In recent weeks, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, who was serving as interim leader of the C.D.C., canceled the publication of a report concluding that the Covid vaccine sharply cut the odds of hospitalizations and emergency room visits last winter, saying the study had limitations.
“At a moment when public trust in institutions like the C.D.C. is fragile, we cannot afford to lower our standards,” Dr. Bhattacharya wrote in an editorial about news coverage of his decision.
Dr. Aaron S. Kesselheim, a Harvard University medical professor who studies F.D.A. regulation, said he had worked with the agency on a number of research papers and found its work to meet “the highest standards of scientific investigation.” He suggested that the request to pull the papers was an act of “censorship.”
He added: “At any other time in history, this would be a major scandal that would lead to congressional hearings and resignations of leadership, and I hope that’s what happens next.”
The withdrawn F.D.A. studies examined the safety of the Covid vaccines used in 2023 and 2024. The agency’s scientists worked with outside data firms that compile and analyze massive data sets under contracts that cost taxpayers millions of dollars each year.
Both studies saw some light of day before they were pulled from publication. One, which examined the Covid vaccine in people older than 65, was posted on a preprint server, which is a repository for studies that have not yet undergone peer review. The study reviewed the records of about 7.5 million Medicare beneficiaries who got the vaccine. The researchers focused on the period of about 21 days after they got the vaccine and compared it to the next 20 days. They were looking to see if there were more health problems in the period right after vaccination.
The study looked at 14 health outcomes potentially caused by the vaccine, including heart attacks, strokes and Guillain-Barré syndrome, an autoimmune condition sometimes associated with vaccines.
They only found a concern with one outcome, anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction affecting about 1 in a million people, from the Pfizer vaccine. “No other statistically significant elevations in risk were observed,” the study said.
The study was withdrawn after it had been accepted by the peer reviewed journal Drug Safety, according to people familiar with the work. Michael Stacey, a spokesman for the journal, said it deems submissions to be confidential and would not comment on them.
The Times obtained a copy of the Covid vaccine safety study of people who were 6 months to 64 years old. An abstract of the study appeared at one conference and remains online. Its withdrawal was first reported by STAT News.
That study examined the records of 4.2 million Covid vaccine recipients and examined their later experience with 17 conditions, including swelling of the brain, major blood clots, stroke and heart attacks. The study found rare cases of fever-related seizures and myocarditis, or inflammation of the heart muscle, known to be associated with Covid vaccines.
“Given the available evidence, F.D.A. continues to conclude the benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks,” the study said.
Angela Rasmussen, an editor in chief of the journal Vaccine, said the paper had been withdrawn by the authors.
Dr. Caleb Alexander, a drug safety and methodology expert at Johns Hopkins University, reviewed both studies at the request of The Times and said that “no study answers every question” but “there is nothing inherently problematic regarding these reports.”
“It’s too bad that these haven’t seen the full light of day,” Dr. Alexander said in an email. “They provide useful information regarding the most commonly used COVID-19 vaccines.”
Jeffrey Morris, director of the University of Pennsylvania biostatistics division, who also reviewed the study drafts at the request of The Times, said the studies were generally well done.
“I think if there’s any critique,” he said, “it’s that they don’t do enough of these studies with the resources they have.”
Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo, a former high-ranking National Institutes of Health official and chief executive of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, said that F.D.A. leaders withdrawing papers from publication is a “pretty active act of sabotage.”
“This black box of decision making around data suppression should be having people very alarmed and very worried,” said Dr. Marrazzo. She filed a whistle-blower complaint against the N.I.H., was fired by Mr. Kennedy and has since sued the agency, claiming that she was ousted for objecting to its policies.
By contrast, Mr. Kennedy’s team has had lower standards for releasing information critical of vaccines. A memo by Dr. Prasad, the former head of the F.D.A.’s vaccine division, drew widespread news coverage by claiming that the Covid vaccine had been linked to the deaths of 10 children, a conclusion the agency has not backed up or explained.
In February, agency officials did not sign off in time for staff to submit abstracts on two studies of the Shingrix vaccine to a drug safety conference, according to two people familiar with the decision. A senior administration official said the studies were not moving forward at the agency.
One study found the efficacy to be in line with findings from the clinical trials done before agency approval. A safety study also aligned with what was known, finding an elevated but low risk for Guillain-Barré syndrome, an autoimmune disease already noted in the vaccine’s label.
Dr. Helen Chu, an infectious disease doctor who was among 17 scientists fired from an influential vaccine advisory body at the C.D.C. last summer, said large studies by health agencies are closely watched by doctors and professional societies. They are important, she said, because they can examine the effect of a vaccine on millions of people, far more than the thousands that were tracked in clinical trials.
“You really do need these studies for us to truly be safe and to make sure that vaccines continue to be safe,” she said. “These types of studies have to be done and the results have to be published.”
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Bryan Johnson, a biohacker and longevity guru who has claimed “we may be the first generation who won’t die,” revealed he has an autoimmune condition causing his stomach to “eat itself.”
The Los Angeles-based tech entrepreneur, 48, has previously shared publicly that he is hoping to live until the year 2140, when he would in theory be 160 years old.
Now, Johnson says he has been diagnosed with autoimmune gastritis (AIG), a chronic autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the stomach’s acid-producing parietal cells, reducing stomach acid and impairing vitamin B12 absorption, according to Nature Reviews Disease Primers.
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“My stomach is eating itself,” he wrote in an Instagram post. Johnson also shared that anywhere from 2% to 5% of people likely have this disease.
“I’m going to try to solve it,” Johnson went on. “Will share all.”
Bryan Johnson, a biohacker and longevity guru who has claimed “we may be the first generation who won’t die,” revealed he has an autoimmune condition causing his stomach to “eat itself.” (Getty Images)
The biohacker shared that as a child, he ate sugary cereal, drank sugary soda and “gobbled down fast food.”
“I became a young father of three and began building a business,” Johnson went on. “Juggling that stress and grind, I let my health slip and gained 40 lbs. Within a few years I’d fallen into a deep, chronic depression.”
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“Somewhere in that timeline, my body began developing an autoimmune process affecting my thyroid and then my stomach lining,” he added.
Fox News Digital reached out to Johnson for comment.
AIG can remain hidden and can be challenging to diagnose, Johnson noted, often surfacing years after damage has already occurred to the stomach. It can cause iron deficiency, B12 deficiency and anemia, and can also increase the risk of stomach cancer, the expert warned.
“Low iron stores get normalized and rarely investigated at all when anemia hasn’t shown up yet,” Johnson wrote. “That blind spot is what hid mine for a decade.”
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He also shared that for 11 years, he has had low levels of ferritin, a protein that stores iron inside the body’s cells. Ferritin releases iron when the body needs it, supports muscle function and carries out other essential processes.
“We continually tried to raise my iron levels with food and supplementation, but nothing would work,” he said.
The Los Angeles-based tech entrepreneur, 48, has previously shared publicly that he is hoping to live until the year 2140. (Getty Images)
Johnson acknowledged that some common biohacking techniques — including hard training, sauna and hyperbaric oxygen — all raise the body’s demand for iron.
“But none of them explained the core failure: Despite me taking iron orally, trailing every formulation and using every timing trick, none of the iron would stick.”
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Johnson underwent a colonoscopy and upper endoscopy, which examined his entire intestinal tract. Five biopsies were also taken from his stomach, which found “clear signs of early autoimmune gastritis: early atrophy confined to the acid-producing lining.”
In January 2026, the biohacker stated in a post on his website that “by 2039, my goal is immortality.”
“In the age of AI, multiomics, and custom-built DNA, proteins and cells, no condition should be presumed incurable simply because no one has yet tried to cure it with today’s stack,” Johnson said in his post. (Getty Images)
He detailed his strategy for defying aging, which includes embracing a strict regimen to slow or stop biological aging, using AI to accelerate longevity research, testing new treatments in lab-grown cells and organs, and reaching “longevity escape velocity” — in which medical advances would eventually extend lifespan faster than he ages.
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“I may fail at this task, but my team and I will try our best,” he wrote at the time.
There is currently no cure for AIG, which Johnson said he wants to change.
Johnson acknowledged that some common biohacking techniques — including hard training, sauna and hyperbaric oxygen — all raise the body’s demand for iron. (iStock)
“In the age of AI, multiomics, and custom-built DNA, proteins and cells, no condition should be presumed incurable simply because no one has yet tried to cure it with today’s stack.”
Johnson ended his post by urging others to prioritize their health.
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“Care for yourself, care for others, care for the planet and care for our animal friends. Care for life, as it’s the most precious gift there is.”
The longevity guru also shared an image showing the detailed findings of his five stomach biopsies.
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At 93, sprightly referee Frank Foster is still brandishing red and yellow cards and running the field three times a week for his local soccer association.
Having taken charge of around 5,500 matches over a 46-year officiating career, the great-grandfather credits his longevity and match-day stamina to a lifetime of healthy habits and a foundational diet, news agency SWNS reported.
Foster puts his remarkable fitness down to the strict wartime rations he was fed as a teenager, noting that it ensured he grew up eating “healthy food” rather than “sweets and cakes.”
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Decades later, his game-day preparation is still fueled by wholesome nutrition, always starting with a morning bowl of oatmeal, cereal or marmalade on toast to give him the energy to last the full 90 minutes.
The meal keeps him active enough to referee men’s, women’s and children’s games, a hobby he jokes he will never blow the final whistle on.
Frank Foster started refereeing in 1980. Today, he still officiates men’s, women’s and children’s games around three times a week. (SWNS)
His sharp mind and authoritative presence on the field are just as strong as his physical endurance.
A military veteran who aced his referee exam in 1980 with a 98% score, Foster relies on old-school discipline to keep matches under control, SWNS reported.
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He believes modern elite officials are too “soft” and allow player antics to ruin the sport. To maintain order and keep players from acting out, he lays down strict ground rules before kickoff. He has no patience for intimidation or theatrical diving. “Those who go down like they have been shot, well, I would just book them,” he said.
He is equally uncompromising when squads try to crowd him on the field.
Frank Foster is pictured before he became a referee. (Frank Foster/SWNS)
“I wouldn’t let them surround me at all,” Foster told SWNS.
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“I would say to the players, ‘Stay where you are,’ and ‘If you move one more inch, I will give you a yellow card.’ You need to stamp your authority and let them know who is in control.”
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He also avoids the modern stress of video-reviewing plays, which he believes creates unnecessary “aggression and disappointment” over microscopic offside calls, adding, “I think it spoils the game.”
Foster credits his longevity to wartime rations, adding that he avoided sweets. (SWNS)
“Sometimes it is only the player’s toe that is offside — it is ridiculous.”
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Foster says he “never thought” he’d still be doing this at age 93, but he makes the most of that gift.
He keeps his kit freshly washed, making sure it is “neat and tidy” for when he gets on that field.
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Foster, of South Yorkshire, England, also scrubs his black Adidas boots after every game, making sure they are “nice and clean” for his next match.
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Summer fun in the sun is being taken to a new extreme.
“Tanmaxxing” is a social media trend that involves maximizing sun exposure and tanning the skin more intensely.
Popular among Gen Z, the practice combines time spent in direct sunlight with a variety of tanning products like oils, bronzers and gels.
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Creators on social media are showing off their dramatic tan lines and outdoor set-ups — some even forgoing sun protection or adding tanning bed sessions.
“Tanmaxxing” is trending on social media as a way of maximizing sun exposure. (iStock)
While spending time outdoors can help boost mood, support the body’s production of vitamin D and reduce screen time, dermatologists warn that excessive sun exposure — especially as promoted by the tanmaxxing trend — can be dangerous.
New York-based board-certified dermatologist Dr. Michael Tassavor, MD, emphasized that there is “no such thing as a safe, natural tan.”
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“Tanning is damage,” he said in an interview with Fox News Digital. “Tanfluencers sell a deep tan as a ‘wellness upgrade,’ but a tan isn’t a glow-up — it’s your skin’s visible distress signal that DNA damage has already happened.”
“As a skin cancer specialist, I’ve taken care of thousands of skin cancers on patients who ‘tanmaxxed’ before it had a name. Most regret it.”
Using a tanning bed before 35 years old can raise melanoma risk by about 75%, an expert warned. (iStock)
The World Health Organization classifies UV radiation and tanning beds as Group 1 carcinogens, which is the same category as tobacco and asbestos.
Using a tanning bed before age 35 can raise melanoma risk by about 75%, Tassavor noted.
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“The damage compounds silently and shows up years later, once the easy window to intervene has closed,” he said.
According to Tassavor, two common beliefs behind tanmaxxing are false: Skipping sunscreen does not produce a “better” tan, and a base tan does not protect the skin from future sunburns.
“Most of your vitamin D can come from diet and supplements, and your skin is efficient enough to top up what it needs from ordinary incidental exposure,” a dermatologist said. (iStock)
Sunlight “isn’t the enemy,” the dermatologist noted, but there’s no need to chase it.
“Most of your vitamin D can come from diet and supplements, and your skin is efficient enough to [get] what it needs from ordinary incidental exposure,” he said.
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“Vitamin D matters for bone density, and sun does give some people a genuine mood lift, but there’s no evidence that anyone has to go out of their way to sunbathe for it, and no evidence that diligent sunscreen use harms bone health.”
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To safely expose yourself to the sun, Tassavor recommends using SPF 30 sunscreen and reapplying every two hours. Tanning beds should be avoided “entirely,” he cautioned, because there is “no safe dose” of UV exposure and using them accelerates skin aging.
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