Shares of the pharmaceutical giants Moderna and Pfizer fell Friday after a report that federal health officials plan to link COVID-19 vaccines to the deaths of 25 children, CNBC reported.
The Washington Post reported Friday that officials plan to include the claim in a presentation next week to a vaccine panel that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The findings appear to be based on information submitted to the federal Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, known as VAERS, that contains unverified reports of side effects or bad experiences with vaccines, the report added.
The presentation is not final, though, the Post said.
"FDA and CDC staff routinely analyze VAERS and other safety monitoring data, and those reviews are being shared publicly through the established ACIP process," a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services told the news outlet, referencing the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
"Until that is shared publicly, any [information on ] this should be considered pure speculation," the spokesperson added.
Pfizer stock fell more than 3% Friday; shares of Moderna dropped more than 7%.
Regulators in more than 90 countries have not identified any new or undisclosed concerns in children or pregnant women for Moderna's COVID-19 shot, the company said in an email response.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.