A newly released Senate investigation has uncovered that federal health agencies knew about the potential risk of myocarditis and pericarditis associated with mRNA COVID-19 vaccines as early as February 2021—but withheld that information from the public for nearly four months. The report, compiled by the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, accuses the Biden administration of downplaying the severity of these side effects during the peak of the national vaccination campaign.
The report’s findings suggest that concerns about public response—specifically vaccine hesitancy—played a key role in the delay. Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI), who led the investigation, said the administration prioritized public compliance over the core medical principle of informed consent.
Federal health officials reportedly received early warnings from Israeli counterparts who observed elevated cases of myocarditis, especially among young men, after vaccination. Despite these alerts and internal discussions acknowledging a clear “safety signal,” agencies including the CDC chose not to issue a Health Alert Network notification at the time.
The document, titled “Failure to Warn: How Federal Health Agencies Downplayed the Risk of Myocarditis and Other Adverse Events Following COVID-19 Vaccination,” includes more than 2,400 pages of attachments, much of which was obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests. These records reportedly show that the administration not only ignored early warnings but also distributed internal talking points to top health officials that minimized the risks.
Among those reportedly briefed were Dr. Anthony Fauci and other top health authorities. The official public acknowledgment of increased risk didn’t arrive until June 2021, when updates were made to the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine labels—four months after internal confirmation of the myocarditis threat.
The Senate report also claims the Biden administration stonewalled congressional inquiries and withheld documents until compelled by subpoenas. In contrast, the report notes that previous cooperation had improved under the Trump administration, particularly with the Department of Health and Human Services.
The delay in transparency raises concerns about whether political motivations overrode public health obligations. The administration’s decision to suppress risk information while encouraging widespread vaccination raises serious ethical questions—especially for the families of those who experienced these side effects without prior warning. In a time when trust in public institutions is already fragile, the choice to withhold known risks could have lasting consequences on how Americans engage with future public health guidance.
