An explosive new Senate report reignites debate over transparency in public health as Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Ron Johnson clash with Biden administration officials on vaccine safety.

According to Fox News, a report released Wednesday by Sen. Ron Johnson accuses U.S. health agencies of deliberately delaying public warnings about the risk of myocarditis—heart inflammation—associated with mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. Senator Johnson’s interim report alleges the Biden administration withheld crucial data and failed to provide timely information to the public on potential adverse reactions.

The 55-page report, produced by the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations and reviewed by Fox News, zeroes in on how federal officials handled internal findings and communications about myocarditis following COVID-19 vaccination. Documents obtained through subpoenas suggest a pattern of delay and downplaying, prompting fierce criticism from lawmakers and renewed calls for transparency in government-led health campaigns.

Subpoenaed records reveal internal debate

Sen. Johnson, who has sent over 70 oversight letters on the subject since 2021, claims his efforts to obtain information were consistently ignored or insufficiently addressed by health agencies. Newly acquired records show that as early as May 2021, officials at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) discussed issuing a nationwide formal warning about myocarditis cases linked to the vaccines.

Initially, health officials considered sending a Health Alert Network (HAN) message—a tool used by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to broadcast urgent public health information. This method would have alerted clinicians, laboratories, and public health practitioners across the country to the emerging risk. However, the CDC and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ultimately decided against a formal HAN, instead opting to quietly update “clinical considerations” on the CDC’s website.

Sen. Johnson’s report contends this decision led to a critical delay in informing the public. He argues that by withholding a formal warning, the administration failed to give Americans, especially young people, the information needed to make fully informed choices about vaccination.

Israeli data and CDC response questioned

The controversy escalated after the Israeli Ministry of Health notified U.S. officials in February 2021 about a surge in myocarditis cases among young recipients of the Pfizer vaccine. By April 2021, CDC officials were discussing “safety signals” detected in both Defense Department and Israeli datasets. Despite these warnings, Johnson’s report claims, U.S. officials did not act swiftly to inform the public or update vaccine guidance.

Documents also indicate that CDC officials were in communication with representatives from both Moderna and Pfizer about the risks. In late May 2021, internal meeting notes reveal CDC staff asking, “Is VAERS signaling for myopericarditis now?” and answering, “For the age groups 16-17 years and 18-24 years, yes.”

Still, a formal public alert was not issued until late June 2021, when changes were made to the labels for the Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines. By then, critics argue, thousands of young Americans had already received the shots without being fully informed about the potential risk of heart inflammation.

Lawmakers, agencies at odds over transparency

Sen. Johnson’s report is unflinching in its criticism of the Biden administration, accusing health officials of putting public health at risk by refusing to disclose adverse event data in a timely manner. According to the report, as of April 25, 2025, the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) had logged 38,607 deaths and over 1.6 million adverse events worldwide linked to COVID-19 vaccines. It also highlights that 25% of the reported deaths occurred within two days of vaccination.

Sen. Johnson said:

No other reports of adverse events associated with any other drug or vaccine even come close to these statistics. And yet, those who oversaw the development and distribution of the COVID-19 vaccines continue to insist it is safe and effective, without providing the data to prove their claims.

Administration officials have defended their approach, stating that vaccine safety is monitored continuously and that the benefits of vaccination far outweigh the risks. They argue that clinical guidance is updated as new evidence emerges and that public health messaging must be clear but also based on well-established data.

Calls for accountability and next steps

The report concludes by demanding a full public disclosure of all records and communications related to vaccine safety, arguing that taxpayers are entitled to complete transparency. Johnson and his allies insist that federal health agencies make all data accessible and remove any remaining “roadblocks” to oversight.

Johnson’s committee promises to continue its investigation, vowing to provide “transparency and let the American public see what is their right to see.” The report’s release has reignited debates over government accountability, especially as questions linger about how health risks are communicated during emergencies.

Both parties in Congress are now facing increased pressure from constituents to clarify how decisions about vaccine guidance were made. Critics argue that only a thorough airing of the facts can repair trust, while defenders of the agencies warn against undermining confidence in vaccination programs.