{"aiVersion":"1","content":{"id":"cmtteb021000412748gkvigp9","slug":"army-physician-reviews-military-vaers-reports-afte-20260909","title":"Army physician reviews military VAERS reports after appointment at HHS","level":"MEDIUM","publishedAt":"2026-09-09T01:04:04.642Z"},"topic":{"slug":"army-physician-reviews-military-vaers-reports-afte-20260909","category":"health"},"article":{"paragraphs":["An Army physician, Theresa Long, has told a federal court she is reviewing thousands of reports of health problems and deaths after Covid vaccination among U.S. service members. In an August 14 deposition she said she is examining 2,544 unverified deaths recorded in the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, or VAERS. She was named senior medical military adviser to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and also reports to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Long said she has identified 28 deaths she believes may be linked to vaccination, although she provided few details.","Although VAERS can signal possible safety issues, reports alone cannot establish that a vaccine caused an event, so investigators use medical records, autopsies, and controlled studies to search for causes. Public health experts have noted that passive systems like VAERS need follow up with active surveillance and controlled studies to confirm any safety signals. Long said she hopes to finish the review within about a year, and the investigation has prompted debate about how vaccine safety is studied. While allegations have circulated, the reported cases remain unverified and must be examined carefully."],"wordCount":184,"readTime":2},"vocabulary":[{"word":"deposition","example":"She answered questions in the deposition.","phonetic":"/ˌdepəˈzɪʃən/","definition":"a formal statement given under oath in court"},{"word":"VAERS","example":"VAERS collects reports from the public and clinicians.","phonetic":"/ˈveɪ.ɜːrz/","definition":"a passive system for reporting health events after vaccination"},{"word":"autopsy","example":"An autopsy can help clarify a cause of death.","phonetic":"/ˈɔːtɒpsi/","definition":"a medical examination of a body after death to find the cause"},{"word":"surveillance","example":"Surveillance systems watch for unusual patterns.","phonetic":"/səˈveɪ.ləns/","definition":"systematic monitoring of health data to detect problems"}],"quiz":[{"answer":"August 14","question":"When did Theresa Long give the deposition?"},{"answer":"2,544","question":"How many unverified deaths is she examining?"},{"answer":"within about a year","question":"How long did she say she hopes to finish the review?"}],"discussion":[{"question":"Do you trust health data that you read on the internet? Why or why not?"},{"question":"Have you ever had to wait for a medical test result? How did you feel?"},{"question":"What would make you feel confident in a health investigation?"},{"question":"Would you like to learn more about how public health agencies study vaccine safety?"}]}