CDC reportedly blocks release of COVID vaccine efficacy study amid leadership tensions

The CDC reportedly canceled publication of a planned Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report article showing the COVID-19 vaccine reduced emergency department visits and hospitalizations by about 50% this past winter, citing methodological concerns raised by acting CDC Director Jay Bhattacharya. The report had cleared peer and internal review before being blocked, amid broader leadership turmoil at the agency and ongoing vaccine-policy debates linked to the administration and its critics. Critics say the move undermines scientific transparency, highlighting tensions between scientific rigor and policy leadership.