HHS rejects publication of study showing Covid-19 vaccines prevent hospitalizations, ER visits
CNN • • health
Key Points:
- A new CDC-led study found that Covid-19 vaccines roughly halved the risk of emergency room visits or hospitalizations for US adults last fall and winter, but the agency blocked its publication in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).
- CDC head Dr. Jay Bhattacharya rejected the study due to concerns about its test-negative design methodology, despite it being a standard, widely accepted approach for measuring vaccine effectiveness against respiratory viruses.
- The study had passed internal reviews and was scheduled for publication, but political interference related to vaccine policy changes under HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. led to its rejection, raising concerns among former CDC officials.
- The rejection reflects broader shifts in CDC vaccine policy under Kennedy, including removing blanket Covid-19 vaccine recommendations for pregnant women, children, and all individuals over 6 months, favoring shared clinical decision-making instead.
- Kennedy denies that his views have influenced vaccination rates or that he is anti-vaccine, attributing declining uptake to public hesitancy rather than agency policies.
