Senator Ron Johnson called for an investigation after a top CDC Covid vaccine safety officer’s records went ‘missing.’
Johnson said Dr. Tom Shimabukuro, the director of the CDC’s Immunization Safety Office, may have deleted records related to the Covid vaccine’s adverse reactions.
Department of Health and Human Services officials told Ron Johnson that they could not find requested documents under subpoena and believed they may have been deleted from the HHS’s email system.
Senator Johnson called on the Department of Justice, FBI, HHS and OIG to investigate the ‘mishandling’ of records.
“Dr. Shimabukuro’s potential mishandling of his official records is highly concerning. His actions, if true, would have directly obstructed my multi-year oversight efforts of the COVID-19 vaccines and would be in clear violation of my November 19, 2024 demand to HHS, CDC, and the Food and Drug Administration to ‘preserve all records referring or relating to the development, safety, and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines.’ Furthermore, given Dr. Shimabukuro’s role at CDC, which includes monitoring adverse events relating to the COVID-19 vaccines, his communications are directly responsive to my January 28, 2025, subpoena to HHS for records relating to the development and safety of the COVID-19 vaccines. Any attempt to obstruct or interfere with my investigatory efforts would be grounds for contempt of Congress,” Chairman Johnson wrote.