US CDC will not publish report showing COVID vaccine effectiveness

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reportedly blocked the publication of a scientific report that demonstrated the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines. The manuscript, intended for the CDC's flagship journal, the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), was not accepted due to concerns about its methodology, according to an HHS spokesperson.

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Scientific reports are routinely reviewed at multiple levels to ensure they meet the highest standards before publication.

Andrew Nixon, an HHS spokesperson, stated that "Scientific reports are routinely reviewed at multiple levels to ensure they meet the highest standards before publication." He elaborated that "methodological approach estimating vaccine effectiveness" led to the manuscript not being accepted. The MMWR is a critical publication for disseminating public health findings and guidance, making this decision notable for researchers and health officials.

The Washington Post initially reported that the CDC had delayed the publication of this report, which indicated that the vaccines had halved emergency department visits and hospitalizations among healthy adults during the past winter. This development occurs amidst a backdrop of increasing challenges for COVID vaccine research.

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the manuscript was not accepted for publication

Notably, Pfizer and BioNTech recently halted a large U.S. trial of their updated COVID shot in healthy adults aged 50 to 64 due to low enrollment. Furthermore, under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s leadership, a panel of vaccine advisers had previously scrapped a broad recommendation for COVID shots, suggesting they be administered only through shared decision-making with a healthcare provider. This recommendation has since been temporarily blocked by a federal judge.

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methodological approach estimating vaccine effectiveness