Physician advising Kennedy investigates vaccine deaths among soldiers

U.S. Army doctor Theresa Long said in testimony given in a Virginia federal court that she is advising Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in an investigation into whether service members died due to Covid-19 vaccines.

According to a transcript of the testimony obtained by POLITICO, Long stated that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth appointed her as Kennedy's senior military medical advisor. Her role at the Department of Health and Human Services was not previously public. According to Long, she is investigating, among other things, whether 2,544 unverified death reports regarding service members found in the U.S. Department of Health's VAERS system were linked to Covid-19 vaccines after President Joe Biden mandated vaccination for service members in 2021.

Long, who holds board certification in aerospace medicine and a master's degree in public health, told the court she hopes to complete the investigation into potential vaccine side effects within a year. HHS and Long did not respond to requests for comment. Asked about Long’s role, the Defense Department said it did not have anything to report at this time.