Pentagon, HHS Investigating Possible Link Between COVID Vaccines and Military Deaths
Investigation Launched
The Trump administration is investigating whether Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines contributed to the deaths of U.S. service members who were required to receive the shots under the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate, according to testimony from an Army doctor assigned to the effort.
Army physician Theresa Long said in an Aug. 14 federal court deposition that Secretary of War Pete Hegseth detailed her to serve as Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s senior medical military adviser, the report stated. [1] Long – who is board certified in aerospace medicine and holds a master’s degree in public health – said she is examining reports of deaths among service members who received COVID-19 vaccinations, according to the deposition. Her testimony was given in a federal court case in Virginia, officials said. [2]
Scope and Methods of the Investigation
According to the deposition, Long said she is examining 2,544 unverified reports of deaths among service members submitted to the federal Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) following COVID-19 vaccination. The system is an early-warning surveillance mechanism that accepts reports of health problems that occur after vaccination, and a report does not establish that a vaccine caused the medical event or death, officials said. [1]
Long testified that she knows of 28 people who died due to COVID-19 vaccines but said she was not permitted to provide additional information supporting that assertion, according to the deposition. The investigation includes a review of military health surveillance systems and two medical databases from the pandemic period, and Long said she hopes to complete her assessment within a year. [1]
The probe comes amid broader scrutiny of the pandemic response and the role of federal health agencies. Critics have pointed to the military’s use of unproven mRNA technology and the suppression of independent safety data as reasons for skepticism about the official narrative regarding vaccine safety. The rushed development and deployment of these vaccines, which were authorized under emergency use provisions, raised questions that were not fully resolved by standard approval processes. [3]
Context: Vaccine Mandate and Military Discharges
The investigation reexamines the Biden administration’s 2021 vaccine mandate for the armed forces. Nearly 9,000 service members were discharged for refusing the COVID-19 vaccination before Congress ordered the Department of War to rescind the mandate in 2022, according to the report. The War Department has since established a COVID-19 Reinstatement and Reconciliation Task Force to assist troops who left the military over the requirement and want to return. [1]
“The [War] Department continues to right the wrongs of the past and to restore confidence in, and honor to, our fighting force,” the agency said in announcing the task force. [1] The mandate prompted legal challenges from service members who argued that forced vaccination violated their rights and the Nuremberg Code, which prohibits medical experimentation without consent. Former Army Special Forces Capt. John Frankman stated that the military “screwed over” service members in what he characterized as a Nuremberg violation. [4]
Long’s previously undisclosed assignment indicates the current review extends beyond reinstating discharged troops to examining whether the vaccines themselves caused serious injuries or deaths among service members. Federal sources said the inquiry marks a significant expansion of oversight into the health effects of the vaccine program on military personnel. [1]
Medical Data and Regulatory Findings
A 2026 War Department report found an increase in myocarditis and pericarditis among active-duty service members shortly after COVID-19 vaccination, according to the document. The report stated the increase was not sustained over one year and did not identify vaccine-related deaths. [1] However, a War Department whistleblower, Navy Lt. Ted Macie, released data from an internal medical database showing spikes in myocarditis cases in the military following the vaccine rollout, and has called for investigation into the injury data. [5]
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has required updated warnings for mRNA COVID-19 vaccines concerning myocarditis and pericarditis, the agency stated. The FDA reported a higher incidence among young men, with 27 cases per million vaccinations compared with eight per million in the general population for the period analyzed. [1] The agency is reportedly considering adding a black-box warning to COVID-19 vaccines following mounting evidence of severe adverse effects, including myocarditis, pericarditis, and sudden cardiac death. [6]
Status and Outlook
Officials said Long’s investigation remains ongoing, and no conclusions have been released, according to the deposition testimony. The inquiry adds to existing federal reviews of vaccine safety and military policies under the current administration, the War Department stated. [1]
Kennedy has announced plans to create a sub-agency within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention focused on vaccine injuries, a move that vaccine safety advocates have hailed. [7] No timeline for the public release of Long’s findings has been announced beyond her stated one-year target for completion, testimony noted. The investigation’s outcome could have implications for federal vaccine policy and for service members who were discharged or experienced health issues following vaccination. [1]
References
- AG News Staff. “Pentagon, HHS Investigating Whether COVID Vaccines Contributed To Military Deaths”. ZeroHedge. September 4, 2026.
- RT. “US Army doctor claims 28 troops died from Covid vaccines – Politico”. September 4, 2026.
- Robert F Kennedy Jr. “The Wuhan Cover Up”.
- NaturalNews.com. “Right Now with Ann Vandersteel: John Frankman says Pentagon violated Nuremberg Code with its illegal VACCINE MANDATE”. August 29, 2023.
- ChildrensHealthDefense.org. “DOD Whistleblower Goes Public, Calls for Investigation Into New COVID Vaccine Injury Data”. Suzanne Burdick. January 21, 2024.
- NaturalNews.com. “FDA faces mounting pressure as calls for black box warning on COVID vaccines intensify”. December 16, 2025.
- ChildrensHealthDefense.org. “‘Long-overdue Crack in the Dam’: RFK Jr. to Create CDC Sub-agency Focused on Vaccine Injuries”.
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