The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has reported that crucial records belonging to a senior Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) vaccine safety official have gone missing, according to recent communications with Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wis.).
HHS officials recently informed the senator that electronic
communications from Dr. Tom Shimabukuro, who serves as director of the CDC’s Immunization Safety Office, appear to be missing and potentially eliminated from the department’s email system. This revelation comes amid ongoing congressional oversight of COVID-19 vaccine safety measures.
In response to this development, Senator Johnson has called for investigations from multiple federal authorities, including Attorney General Pam Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel, and HHS Acting Inspector General Juliet Hodgkins. The senator expressed particular concern given Shimabukuro’s significant role in vaccine safety monitoring and research, especially regarding vaccination during pregnancy.
The missing records situation has raised serious concerns about potential violations of the Federal Records Act and possible obstruction of congressional oversight efforts. The matter is especially significant given Johnson’s previous November 2024 directive to HHS, CDC, and the FDA to preserve all records related to COVID-19 vaccine development, safety, and efficacy.
The timing is particularly problematic as it follows Johnson’s January 2025 subpoena to HHS for records concerning vaccine development and safety. When approached for comment, Shimabukuro, the CDC, and HHS did not provide responses before publication.
This incident follows a similar controversy involving another HHS official, Dr. David Morens of the National Institutes of Health, who was previously discovered discussing methods to make messages disappear after Freedom of Information Act requests were submitted. In emails from 2021, Morens had written about such practices, stating, “So I think we are all safe.”
Johnson has expressed frustration with the HHS Office of Inspector General’s lack of transparency regarding these matters. In his correspondence with federal authorities, he noted that the OIG has not confirmed whether any investigations were initiated in response to his previous requests, including those concerning Dr. Morens’
communications.
“The HHS OIG’s lack of transparency with Congress is unacceptable,” Johnson stated in his letter. He further emphasized that if
allegations regarding Shimabukuro’s mishandling of agency records prove true, it would raise significant questions about the
effectiveness of HHS OIG’s oversight and their response to his earlier inquiries from nineteen months ago.
The Department of Justice and HHS Office of Inspector General have acknowledged receiving Johnson’s letter but declined to provide additional comments. The FBI has also declined to comment on the matter.
The situation has drawn increased scrutiny given Shimabukuro’s prominent role in vaccine safety research and his frequent appearances at vaccine meetings, where The Epoch Times has previously reported instances of him providing incorrect information. As director of the CDC’s Immunization Safety Office, his responsibilities included crucial research and monitoring of vaccine safety, making the missing records particularly concerning for ongoing oversight efforts.
The matter remains under investigation as Senator Johnson continues to press for answers regarding the missing records and their implications for congressional oversight of COVID-19 vaccine safety and
development.