The United States government's official count of thalidomide survivors is lower than the actual number of individuals impacted by the drug.

For decades, the United States government has frequently cited a figure of 17 as the official count of thalidomide-affected births. This number, often associated with the Food and Drug Administration's historical record, is widely characterized by contemporary researchers and survivor advocacy groups as an incomplete accounting of the actual population harmed by the drug. While the FDA historically maintained a restrictive view of the drug's distribution, reports indicate that physicians provided thalidomide to pregnant patients during clinical investigations in the 1950s and 1960s without widespread disclosure or regulatory approval.wvxu.orgwvxu.orgThe U S Has More Thalidomide Survivors Than the Government AdmitsThe claim that the United States government's official count of thalidomide survivors is lower than the actual number of individuals impacted by the drug is widely supported by contemporary investigations, historical records, and survivor...usthalidomide.orgusthalidomide.orgUsthalidomide ReportOfficial FDA Count: For decades, the number "17" has been frequently cited as the official FDA count of thalidomide-affected births in the United States Independent Research and Advocacy: Investigative researchers, including Jennifer...