WaPo: RFK Jr.’s CDC delayed report showing COVID vaccine benefits

The Washington Post reports the CDC, led by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., delayed publication of an internal study showing updated COVID vaccines cut emergency department visits and hospitalizations by about half. The acting CDC director said the delay stemmed from methodological concerns, although the study used a long-established vaccine effectiveness design. Withholding the findings changed when clinicians and the public learned about booster benefits. The delay signals political influence over scientific communication and undermines public trust and vaccine policy.