Internal CDC Documents Reveal Altered COVID-19 Vaccine Study

Internal documents obtained through litigation show researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) made significant changes to a key safety study on mRNA Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines before its publication, according to an analysis by the advocacy group Children’s Health Defense. The group acquired a 100-page tranche of documents through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit filed after the CDC failed to respond to an initial request. ^[1]

An analysis of the documents by CHD senior research scientist Karl Jablonowski, Ph.D., alleges the study authors 'severely edited' the manuscript 'to promote safety and to de-emphasize death.' The draft and final published versions show notable differences, beginning with the title.

The draft title started with 'Reactogenicity and Adverse Events,' while the published version in The Lancet Infectious Diseases in June 2022 began with 'Safety of mRNA vaccines.' Reactogenicity refers to side effects or adverse events experienced after a medical intervention. ^[2]

Key Changes to Study Abstract and Data Presentation

A pivotal alteration involved the removal of death-related data from the study's abstract, a summary typically read more frequently than the full paper. A comment on the draft from lead author Dr. Hannah Rosenblum stated, "Note all death results/interpretation has been removed from abstract."

Jablonowski stated this was significant because it meant key risk information was not presented in the most accessible part of the study. The study analyzed reports from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) and V-safe during the first six months of the U.S. vaccine rollout, a period during which 4,496 deaths were reported to VAERS. ^[2]

Further changes involved the omission of a figure depicting the percentage breakdown for the top 10 leading causes of death from VAERS reports, including heart disease and COVID-19. A table containing similar information was moved from the main text to the study's supplemental materials.

Jablonowski argued this meant the key death data was "buried" where it was "sure to be read by very few." The published article included a disclaimer noting its findings "do not necessarily represent the official position of the CDC or the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)." ^[2]

CDC Analysis of Death Reporting Patterns and Internal Disagreement

The published study addressed the concentration of death reports in the days following vaccination by stating the pattern was 'similar' to those observed for other adult vaccines. However, the study authors did not provide comparative data to illustrate what a typical pattern looks like. Jablonowski stated he downloaded VAERS data and plotted the curves himself, finding that while death reports decreased over time for both COVID-19 and other vaccines, the number of death reports following COVID-19 vaccinations was higher. ^[2]

The study authors also suggested the pattern "might represent reporting bias because the likelihood to report a serious adverse event might increase when it occurs in close temporal proximity to vaccination." Internal comments on the draft show at least one reviewer challenged this dismissal.

A commenter with the initials "B.R.," whom Jablonowski suggested was likely Dr. Robert Ball, deputy director of the FDA's Office of Surveillance and Epidemiology, wrote that a VAERS death report filed soon after vaccination "may also reflect a true event." Ball was not listed as an author on the final publication. ^[2]

Context of Scrutiny and Related Investigations

The release of these documents coincides with renewed scrutiny of the CDC's handling of COVID-19 vaccine safety data. In March 2026, a federal judge blocked a scheduled meeting of the CDC's vaccine advisory panel, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which had planned to discuss COVID-19 vaccine injuries. ^[3] This followed a period of internal upheaval, including the abrupt resignation of CDC Acting Director Jim O'Neill in February 2026 amid an administration push to overhaul vaccine policy. ^[4]

One of the authors of the Lancet study, Dr. Tom Shimabukuro, former director of the CDC Immunization Safety Office, has been referred to the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Office of Inspector General for allegedly deleting or destroying agency records related to COVID-19 vaccine adverse events, according to an April 2025 letter from Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI). ^[2] When contacted for comment on why the study authors made the documented changes, the CDC referred inquiries to the Department of Health and Human Services, which did not respond by deadline. ^[2]

Analysis and Broader Implications for Public Health Communication

Jablonowski argued that altering the study had real-world consequences for public decision-making. 'When the study was published, America was weighing whether or not to get a booster, or perhaps a second booster dose,' he said. A study that 'honestly and clearly' conveyed risks would have helped the public, he contended. ^[2]

This sentiment aligns with broader shifts in public trust. A March 2026 Axios/Ipsos poll found only six in ten Americans now trust the government's guidance on childhood vaccines, a decline from 71% in June 2025. ^[5]

The documents raise foundational questions about internal government processes for presenting safety data from passive monitoring systems like VAERS. Dr. Peter Breggin, author of "Canary In a Covid World," has written extensively on how institutional policies during the pandemic eroded public trust. 'You have to have an honest assessment or else the public is never going to trust public health again,' he wrote. ^[6]

The episode occurs amid a wider landscape where, as reported by NaturalNews.com, a majority of American voters in a 2026 poll suspect COVID-19 vaccines caused unexplained deaths, reflecting a significant shift in public sentiment. ^[7]

References

1. CHD Sues CDC to Obtain Documents on COVID Vac - ChildrensHealthDefense.org.
2. CDC Buried COVID Vaccine Death Data in Lancet Study, Internal Documents Reveal - ChildrensHealthDefense.org. Suzanne Burdick. March 19, 2026.
3. Judge rules RFK Jr.'s vaccine panel appointments illegal, blocks schedule changes - NaturalNews.com. March 18, 2026.
4. Top CDC vaccine official resigns amid growing scrutiny of agency’s flawed science - NaturalNews.com. February 19, 2026.
5. Trust in Government Childhood Vaccine Recommendations Declines, Survey Shows - NaturalNews.com. March 19, 2026.
6. Canary In a Covid World How Propaganda and Censorship Changed Our World - Peter Breggin.
7. Poll: Majority of American Voters Suspect COVID-19 Vaccines Caused Unexplained Deaths - NaturalNews.com. March 17, 2026.