WASHINGTON. The U.S. Defense Department has acknowledged that it conducted a covert psychological operation aimed at undermining China’s Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine during the pandemic, according to a document released on June 25. This admission comes in response to revelations from a recent Reuters investigation and has sparked significant controversy and scrutiny.

The document, cited by former Philippine presidential spokesperson Harry Roque and reviewed by Reuters, confirms that the Pentagon engaged in messaging that questioned the safety and efficacy of Sinovac’s vaccine. The Defense Department acknowledged these actions in communications with the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs and Department of National Defense.

“It is true that the [Department of Defense] did message Philippine audiences questioning the safety and efficacy of Sinovac,” the document states. It further admits that the Pentagon made “some missteps in our COVID-related messaging” but asserts that the military has since “vastly improved oversight and accountability of information operations” since 2022.

The Pentagon’s clandestine operation, which also targeted other developing countries in Central Asia, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia, was exposed by a June 14 Reuters investigation. The report led to a Philippine Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing and a formal request for clarification from U.S. officials.

According to the June 25 document, the Pentagon admitted that its anti-vaccine campaign was “misaligned with our priorities” and stated that operatives ceased COVID-related messaging, including misinformation about COVID-19 origins and vaccines, in August 2021.

Despite requests for comment, the Philippines’ defense and foreign affairs departments have not responded. The U.S. State Department directed inquiries to the Defense Department. Pentagon spokesman Pete Nguyen did not confirm the specific details of the document but acknowledged that the Pentagon distributed “social media content about the safety and efficacy of Sinovac.”

At the time of the operation, U.S. national security officials were concerned that China’s distribution of COVID-19 aid, including vaccines, could be leveraged to strengthen geopolitical influence and undermine U.S. alliances. The covert operation used online bots and fake social media accounts to spread misinformation, with Reuters identifying a network of such accounts on X (formerly Twitter). X removed these profiles after confirming they were part of a coordinated campaign.

Nguyen stated that an internal review found the Pentagon was not responsible for troubling social media content related to the Philippines but did not address whether contractors or non-military partners were involved.

The Reuters investigation, which involved interviews with over two dozen current and former officials, contractors, and experts, has drawn sharp criticism from public health advocates. They condemned the campaign as dangerous and unethical, noting it put lives at risk.

In response, Sinovac spokeswoman Yuan Youwei criticized the U.S. military’s actions, saying, “Stigmatizing vaccination will lead to a series of consequences, such as a lower inoculation rate, the outbreak and spread of disease, social panic and insecurity, as well as crises of confidence in science and public health.”

The Philippine Senate, led by Senator Imee Marcos, has launched an investigation into the matter. At a hearing on June 25, Marcos condemned the campaign as “evil, wicked, dangerous, unethical” and questioned whether it violated international law or if the Philippines had any legal recourse.