Crick Institute Retracts COVID Vaccine Study After Student Admits Data Fabrication

Key points

• Science Translational Medicine retracted a July 2022 article on COVID-19 vaccines in mice after an investigation found lead author Kevin Ng fabricated data and falsified images.
• The retraction notice, issued on October 14, 2026, states that Ng admitted responsibility, casting doubt on other experiments in the paper for which primary data is unavailable.
• This is the second retraction for Ng this year; a Nature paper on lung cancer immunotherapy was also retracted after a similar investigation found him solely responsible for fabrication.
• The Francis Crick Institute stated that no evidence of malpractice was found among coauthors, including supervisor George Kassiotis, and no other papers by Ng were implicated in the investigation.
• Ng, who was a postdoctoral researcher at Rockefeller University, is no longer employed there and has pivoted to covering classical music, including writing for The New York Times.

Background

Recent archive coverage highlights ongoing shifts in vaccine policy and public health priorities, such as Australia’s transition to risk-based COVID-19 vaccine coverage and early flu campaigns in Canada. These developments underscore the importance of reliable scientific data in guiding public health decisions, a context in which data fabrication incidents like this one are particularly significant.

How outlets are covering it

Retraction Watch provides a detailed account of the institutional investigation, emphasizing Ng’s sole responsibility and the lack of malpractice by coauthors. MedPage Today briefly notes the retraction but frames it within a broader roundup of health news, including Pope Leo XIV’s recovery and measles cases in Pennsylvania, offering less detail on the scientific implications. Both sources agree on the core facts but differ in depth and focus, with Retraction Watch highlighting the broader impact on Ng’s career and the journal’s retraction history.

Why it matters

The retraction of a highly cited COVID-19 vaccine study raises concerns about data integrity in scientific research, particularly in a field critical to public health. It highlights the importance of rigorous verification processes and the potential impact of fabricated data on subsequent research and policy decisions.

What to watch

The Francis Crick Institute and Science Translational Medicine have not indicated further actions beyond the retraction. Ng’s departure from academia and pivot to classical music suggest a complete exit from scientific research. No other papers by Ng are currently under investigation, but the incident may prompt closer scrutiny of his remaining publications.