Army physician reviews military VAERS reports after appointment at HHS

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.