Sen. Ron Johnson is intensifying his long-running scrutiny of the federal government’s handling of COVID-19 vaccine safety, calling on the Trump administration to formally recognize vaccine-related injuries through the creation of a dedicated medical billing and diagnostic code.
The Wisconsin Republican argues that many Americans who believe they suffered adverse reactions from COVID-19 vaccines have struggled for years to obtain treatment, reimbursement, and recognition from the healthcare system. According to Johnson, establishing an International Classification of Diseases, or ICD, code for COVID-19 vaccine injuries would be a critical first step toward addressing those concerns.
“Trump’s HHS has to acknowledge that these injection injuries are real,” Johnson said during an appearance on the John Solomon Reports podcast. “They’ve got to create an ICD code so the doctors can get reimbursed.”
ICD codes serve as the standardized system used by healthcare providers, insurers, and government agencies to classify diseases, injuries, and causes of death. Without a specific code, physicians may face challenges documenting certain conditions and obtaining reimbursement for treatment.
Johnson said he has met with individuals who believe they were harmed by the vaccines and described some of them as reaching a breaking point after years of trying to convince medical professionals that their symptoms were connected to the shots.
The senator’s push comes amid a broader investigation led by the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, which he chairs. The panel has reviewed millions of pages of records related to vaccine safety monitoring and recently held hearings examining both vaccine injury claims and the federal government’s response to reported adverse events.
One hearing focused on allegations that federal health officials failed to adequately investigate warning signs that emerged after the rollout of the vaccines. Another examined scientific debates over possible long-term health effects associated with mRNA technology.
The Democrats’ medical expert witnesses claim that the COVID injection is safe and effective — yet they don’t understand how it works.
– It was modified NOT to degrade.
– It has been shown to circulate in the body for 700 days after injection.How can they assure the American… pic.twitter.com/EMuT1xcv7T
— Senator Ron Johnson (@SenRonJohnson) June 4, 2026
Johnson has repeatedly argued that federal regulators failed to properly respond to reports contained in the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, commonly known as VAERS. The database allows healthcare providers, patients, and others to report possible adverse reactions following vaccination. Public health officials have consistently noted that VAERS reports alone do not establish that a vaccine caused a particular medical event and are intended as an early warning system requiring further investigation.
During the podcast interview, Johnson claimed internal FDA discussions revealed concerns about data analysis methods that may have obscured potential safety signals. He pointed to testimony and documents reviewed by his committee as evidence that federal agencies did not sufficiently investigate certain reports of adverse events.
“These are not vaccines,” Johnson said of mRNA shots, arguing that they should instead be viewed as a form of gene therapy. That characterization remains disputed by federal health agencies and many medical experts, who continue to classify mRNA COVID-19 shots as vaccines.
The senator also criticized what he described as pressure campaigns encouraging widespread vaccination during the pandemic. He argued that the public was not fully informed about potential risks and that questions surrounding vaccine safety were too often dismissed.
Public health organizations continue to strongly defend the vaccines. The American Medical Association and other major medical groups maintain that COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective and have played a significant role in reducing severe illness, hospitalization, and death from the virus. Health authorities acknowledge that side effects can occur, but they maintain that serious adverse reactions remain rare relative to the number of doses administered.
Johnson remains unconvinced that the issue has been fully investigated. He argues that additional records should be released and that those responsible for what he views as failures in vaccine safety oversight should be held accountable.
