Topline
Americans seeking information from the White House about COVID-19 testing or vaccinations are now greeted by a new COVID.gov website, which no longer includes easily accessible information about treatment and prevention of the disease.
WASHINGTON, DC: Dr. Anthony Fauci (L), director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious … More
Key Facts
Both COVID.gov and COVIDTESTS.gov now redirect to a site promoting the “lab leak” theory, a claim that COVID-19 emerged from an accidental leak from researchers working on viruses at a lab in Wuhan, China, rather than at the Huanan Market in Wuhan, the latter of which is supported by a March 2020 report published in Nature Medicine by scientists across the globe that was widely cited by public health officials during the height of the pandemic.
The information on the updated COVID site comes from the Republican-led House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, according to a note at the bottom of the page, and the committee’s report titled “After Action Review of the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Lessons Learned and a Path Forward” is downloadable on the site.
The report says vaccines “undoubtedly saved millions of lives by diminishing likelihood of severe disease and death,” but also says the Biden administration and public health officials exaggerated their effectiveness.
The new site also says preventative measures such as mask mandates, social distancing and lockdown restrictions caused more harm than good, and calls out “failures” of the pandemic response by the World Health Organization and National Institutes of Health.
It’s unclear exactly when the site was updated, but Axios and other news outlets are reporting it was launched Friday.
An April 10 snapshot of COVID.gov from an internet archive shows the site formerly provided a plethora of resources for prevention and treatment, underlining the importance of vaccinations with, “People who are up to date with their COVID-19 vaccine have lower risk of severe illness,” highlighted at the top of the page.
“The Trump administration has been very clear that, in contrast to the previous administration, we WILL be the most transparent administration in U.S. history. Nothing will stop us from innovating and finding creative ways to uphold our end of the bargain,” White House spokesman Kaelan Dorr told Forbes in an emailed response to questions about the launch of the updated site.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s COVID site still urges everyone over six months old to get a COVID-19 vaccine, but the agency is considering narrowing its vaccine recommendations, CNN reported (the CDC did not immediately return Forbes’ request for comment Friday afternoon).
What Is The Lab Leak Theory?
The lab leak theory, which claims the pandemic emerged from a leak in the Wuhan National Biosafety Laboratory, has been floated by President Donald Trump since 2020. While most public health officials and scientists stand by evidence pointing to COVID-19’s origins in a Wuhan seafood market, some federal agencies have thrown support behind the idea. Most recently, the CIA released a statement in January supporting the lab theory, The New York Times reported, but there was no new information behind the agency’s shift. Scientific experts have repeatedly rejected this theory, including the authors of the report published in Nature Medicine who said they “do not believe that any type of laboratory-based scenario is plausible.” The Chinese Foreign Ministry has also denied claims that the pandemic began in a laboratory.
Key Background
Trump has long been a critic of the Biden administration’s pandemic response, including his pardon of former Chief Medical Adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci. In January 2025, former President Joe Biden pardoned Fauci to guard him from potential revenge from Trump, who butted heads with Fauci during his first term, the Associated Press reported. The updated COVID.gov site says the Nature Medicine report about COVID’s origins “was prompted by Dr. Fauci to push the preferred narrative that COVID-19 originated naturally.” Beyond Fauci, the new website also denounces the pandemic response actions of Fauci’s senior adviser Dr. David Morens and former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
Can I Still Get A Free Covid-19 Vaccine?
The nonprofit medical research center Mayo Clinic still recommends getting the vaccine, even if you’ve already contracted COVID-19 in the past. The CDC’s vaccines.gov still allows users to enter their ZIP code to find pharmacies nearby offering the vaccine. The cost of vaccinations is covered by most health insurance plans, but the CDC offers resources for those who are uninsured.
Further Reading
Measles Updates: 800 Cases In U.S. As Majority Of Outbreak Remains In Texas (Forbes)
Trump Administration Demands Harvard Disclose Foreign Funding—Escalating Feud (Forbes)