Senator Ron Johnson, R-Wis., is diving headfirst into a potential scandal at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that could shake trust in federal vaccine oversight.
Just The News reported that the crux of this story is Johnson’s probe into whether Tom Shimabukuro, director of the CDC’s Immunization Safety Office, destroyed subpoenaed emails that might reveal delays in warning doctors about heart-inflammation risks tied to COVID-19 vaccines.
As chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Johnson is zeroing in on Shimabukuro, a key figure who led safety efforts for the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System and the COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force.
This isn’t some desk jockey—Shimabukuro was at the heart of monitoring vaccine side effects. And yet, federal agencies claim they can’t find his communications, which raises more red flags than a matador’s arena.
Let’s rewind to early 2021, when myocarditis and pericarditis—serious heart conditions—were flagged as side effects of COVID-19 vaccines as far back as February. Israeli officials tipped off U.S. agencies around that time, per Johnson’s comments on Just the News, No Noise, yet the public response seemed to crawl at a snail’s pace.
By May 31, 2021, CDC data presented by Shimabukuro showed young adults aged 12-24 made up over half the reports of these heart issues, despite being just 9% of mRNA vaccine recipients. That’s nearly triple the expected rate, a statistic that should’ve sounded every alarm in the building.
Four months later, Shimabukuro’s presentation to the FDA’s advisory committee finally brought mainstream attention to these risks, but why the delay in alerting doctors?
Johnson suggests internal debates over issuing a full CDC Health Alert Network warning were watered down to a “lower level notice,” missing critical guidance. Turns out, playing it safe with messaging can leave patients exposed.
Fast forward to Johnson’s current investigation, and the plot thickens—federal agencies deny having Shimabukuro’s relevant emails, and the subcommittee can’t even confirm if he’s still employed. “Couldn’t even find out whether he was still working,” Johnson lamented on Just the News, No Noise. If that’s not a bureaucratic dodge, what is?
Johnson isn’t mincing words, alleging Shimabukuro “probably destroyed documents” under preservation orders, a claim he tempered with a cautious “maybe I’m going too far.”
But with HHS admitting on March 19 that they’re “having difficulty locating” these records, per an April 9 letter, the suspicion lingers. When oversight gets stonewalled, trust in public health takes a hit.
The senator has escalated this to Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel, arguing the potential loss of records “directly obstructed my multi-year oversight efforts of the COVID-19 vaccines.” If true, this isn’t just a paperwork snafu—it’s a violation of the Federal Records Act and a slap in the face to transparency.
Adding fuel to the fire, Johnson’s May 21 interim report unveiled unredacted documents, including a “revealing” 17-page talking points memo previously hidden in FOIA releases.
Such redactions only deepen skepticism about what federal agencies don’t want taxpayers to see. When officials “completely blow us off,” as Johnson vented after sending dozens of oversight letters, it’s no wonder frustration boils over.
Shimabukuro’s role wasn’t minor—Johnson called him “central to safety surveillance,” making the missing records even more troubling. Were warnings delayed to avoid public panic, or was it sheer incompetence? Either way, the lack of accountability stinks worse than a forgotten lunch in a government break room.
Meanwhile, other vaccine safety concerns emerged, like Shimabukuro’s October 2023 presentation noting an elevated stroke risk in seniors getting simultaneous Pfizer and flu shots.
Even Peter Marks, ex-FDA biologics director who left in spring 2023, advised spacing out such vaccines to “minimize the chance” of side effects. Sound advice, but why wasn’t it shouted from the rooftops sooner?