The Epoch Times managed to obtain the aforementioned emails between CDC officials through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. The exchanges took place months before the public health agency gave false statements on the matter to the publication. According to the messages, agency officials were considering to monitor cases of myocarditis – heart muscle inflammation – linked to the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines.

In 2021, CDC promised to perform proportional reporting ratio (PRR) analysis on adverse reactions submitted to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). This promise was even codified in an updated set of operating procedures, which was released in 2022.

In one exchange, NewsGuard editor John Gregory asked for the CDC's comment regarding a claim that PRR analysis cannot accurately identify when a vaccine causes adverse events. Martha Sharan, spokeswoman for the public health agency, forwarded the query to officials. The officials did reply, but their responses were redacted.

"I spoke to this reporter and explained that CDC does not do PRR analysis," wrote Sharan. "The reporter is not going to pursue this further."

However, her remarks contradicted the CDC's promise to perform PRR analysis of reports submitted to VAERS.

"The CDC claims to be vigilantly and transparently monitoring the safety of COVID-19 vaccines. But when it comes to PRR analysis, the CDC's broken promises, inconsistent statements, stonewalling and double standards tell a different story," Children's Health Defense (CHD) President and General Counsel Mary Holland told the Epoch Times in an email.