Shares of vaccine manufacturers Pfizer (PFE), BioNTech (BNTX), and Moderna (MRNA) fell 7%, 8%, and 4%, respectively, on Friday. The decline followed a report that officials from the Trump administration’s Health and Human Services (HHS) Department plan to present a link between COVID-19 vaccines and the deaths of 25 children. The report was first published by The Washington Post.
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The claim is expected to be made at an upcoming presentation to a key advisory panel for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This panel plays a key role in vaccine decisions. It looks at the data and advises who should get vaccinated and whether insurance should pay for it.
The report comes as HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is making efforts to change U.S. vaccine policy. He has already removed recommendations for healthy children and pregnant women to get COVID-19 shots. Also, he has imposed new restrictions on the approval of new vaccines.
Federal Agencies Scrutinize VAERS Data
The link was reportedly drawn with the help of the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). This system collects unverified reports of side effects from various sources, including patients and doctors. According to the CDC, only a full investigation by health experts can show whether a vaccine actually caused or played a role in a reported side effect.
Importantly, last week, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary told CNN that the agency is deeply investigating whether the vaccines caused any child deaths. He mentioned that the FDA has seen self-reported incidents in the VAERS database but did not share specific data linking the deaths to the vaccine.
The FDA plans to release its own report in the coming weeks, which may shed more light on these claims.
Which Vaccine Stock Is the Better Buy?
Turning to Wall Street, analysts think that Moderna stock has the most room to run. Its price target implies over 96% upside potential. On the other hand, analysts expect the least from PFE stock, as its average price target of $23.94 implies an upside of 17.3%.
