The U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Defense are investigating a potential link between COVID-19 vaccines, including Pfizer's, and deaths among military service members.
Army doctor Theresa Long disclosed the probe in a court deposition. Long serves as a senior medical adviser to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The investigation is reviewing 2,544 unverified deaths. These deaths were reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS).
This review forms part of the administration's reexamination of prior vaccine mandates.
A 2026 Pentagon report found a short-term rise in myocarditis after vaccination. The report did not, however, report any deaths.