In first speech to her FDA staff, Heg says she'll scrutinize RSV shots and SSRIs in pregnancy

WASHINGTON — Tracy Beth Høeg, the top drug regulator at the Food and Drug Administration, indicated in her first address to staff that she’ll scrutinize antidepressants and the shots used to protect babies from RSV.

Høeg told employees on Thursday that her top priorities include two issues she’s focused on in the recent past: evaluating the safety of antidepressants taken by pregnant women and of monoclonal antibodies that protect infants against RSV.

“I’ve been interested to learn we really haven’t been doing sort of thorough safety monitoring of these products during pregnancy, and so I think we could do a better job,” Høeg said. “I actually think that there’s agreement about that, and among the CDER staff that I’ve been working with on this issue, so I’m excited to see that.”

Høeg also discussed her interest in vaccine policy, and mentioned she’d like to “bring that interest” into the drug center. Høeg has played a major role in vaccine policy, taking steps to limit access to Covid-19 shots and taking over vaccine surveillance efforts from career staff.


https://www.statnews.com/2026/02/19/tracy-beth-hoeg-fda-speech-to-staff-ssris-in-pregnancy-rsv-shots/