In Jan. 2021 Dr. Fauci told: “Initial Studies avoid vaccination in first trimester”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, and U.S. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, released new text messages obtained from Dr. Anthony Fauci’s government-issued cellphone which was produced by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on August 5, 2026, in response to Chairman Johnson’s request. 

The text chain released today provides additional context to Dr. Fauci’s message to Drs. Vivek Murthy and Rochelle Walensky expressing concerns about “cytokines storm and fever after the 2nd dose” of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines “theoretically” resulting in “miscarriage in the 1st trimester.” According to the newly released January 25, 2021 text message, Dr. John Mascola, the then-Director of the Vaccine Research Center at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, texted Dr. Fauci writing “I am corrected on pregnancy studies. Initial Studies avoid vaccination in first trimester due to possible fever and higher rates of miscarriage in first trimester[.]”

A key text in the chain from Dr. John Mascola to Dr. Fauci below:

Abbreviated Timeline of Text Messages from Dr. Fauci’s iPhone on Miscarriage Risk (New Text Message Highlighted)

• January 25, 2021 at 4:31 pm: Dr. Vivek Murthy texts Drs. Fauci and Rochelle Walensky. Dr. Murthy writes “[f]or pregnant women considering getting the vaccine, are you aware of any data or theoretical reason why vaccinating early vs late in pregnancy would be preferred?”[1]
• January 25, 2021 at 4:48 pm: Dr. Walensky responds to Dr. Murthy writing “my understanding is that this is all a [sic] data free.”[2]
• January 25, 2021 at 4:56 pm: Dr. Fauci responds to Dr. Murthy and writes “[a]gree with Rochelle. There are no data or theoretical reason to believe that vaccinating early versus late in pregnancy would be preferred.”[3]
• January 25, 2021 at 5:47 pm: Dr. Fauci receives a text from Dr. John Mascola, the then-Director of the NIAID’s Vaccine Research Center, who writes “I am corrected on pregnancy studies. Initial Studies [sic] avoid vaccination in first trimester due to possible fever and higher rates of miscarriage in first trimester.”[4]
  • Information from the iPhone indicates Dr. Fauci read Dr. Mascola’s message at 6:42pm on January 25, 2021.[5]
  • Based on the information reviewed by the Subcommittee to date, it is unclear why Dr. Mascola sends this message or what “initial studies” he is referring to.
  • Chairman Johnson’s office immediately emailed Dr. Mascola to understand what he was saying and what he meant in this specific text message. Unfortunately, the Subcommittee has not yet been able to speak with Dr. Mascola as he has retained an attorney. Chairman Johnson hopes that Dr. Mascola will fully cooperate with the Subcommittee and expeditiously provide the transparency that federal health officials, like Dr. Fauci, have failed to provide for years.
• January 25, 2021 at 6:45 pm: Three minutes after reading Dr. Mascola’s message, Dr. Fauci follows up again with Drs. Murthy and Walensky and writes, “Since many people have significant cytokines storm and fever after the 2nd dose, this theoretically could be associated with miscarriage in the first trimester.”[6]
  • Dr. Walensky responds to Dr. Fauci’s text writing “Definitely a good point, esp [sic] after dose two.”[7]
  • Dr. Fauci also replied to Dr. Mascola’s message writing “Thanks.”[8]

Simple questions for Dr. Mascola:

• What prompted your January 25, 2021 text to Dr. Fauci?
• What pregnancy studies were you referring to?
• In what way were you “corrected”?
• Please explain: “Initial Studies [sic] avoid vaccination in first trimester due to possible fever and higher rates of miscarriage in first trimester.” 
• Were there studies that avoided vaccination during the first trimester because they had already seen higher rates of miscarriage in the first trimester, or did they avoid vaccination because of “theoretically” higher rates of miscarriage?

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[1] January 25, 2021 Text message thread between Drs. Fauci, Walensky, and Murthy, at 1.

[2] January 25, 2021 Text message thread between Drs. Fauci, Walensky, and Murthy, at 2.

[3] Id.

[4] January 24, 2021 Text message thread between Drs. Fauci and Mascola (emphasis added).

[5] Id.

[6] January 25, 2021 Text message thread between Drs. Fauci, Walensky, and Murthy, at 2 (emphasis added).

[7] January 25, 2021 Text message thread between Drs. Fauci, Walensky, and Murthy, at 2.

[8] January 24, 2021 Text message thread between Drs. Fauci and Mascola