The report found the vaccine reduced urgent care and hospital visits by about 50%, but leadership questioned the study design before publication.
The acting director of the CDC, Jay Bhattacharya, has reportedly halted the publication of a study showing that updated COVID-19 vaccines reduced the risk of emergency room visits and hospitalizations for healthy adults by approximately 50%.
While the report had already cleared the CDC’s internal scientific review, Bhattacharya raised concerns regarding the "test-negative design" methodology used in the study; however, critics note this is the same standard method the agency recently used to validate flu vaccine efficacy in March.
The delay has sparked debate within the Department of Health and Human Services , with some former officials alleging the findings were suppressed because they conflict with the policy direction of HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has moved to reduce federal vaccine recommendations for healthy populations.