CDC cancels publication of study on COVID vaccine effectiveness

The acting CDC chief halted publication of a peer-reviewed CDC study that found COVID-19 vaccination reduced emergency department visits and hospitalizations by about 55 percent among otherwise healthy adults last winter. CDC researchers had completed peer review and scheduled the report for release before agency leaders cited a methodology dispute and canceled publication. The analysis compared outcomes by vaccination status and covered the recent winter period when vaccine effectiveness against severe illness was being reassessed. Withholding a cleared, peer-reviewed analysis removes direct evidence about vaccine effectiveness from public view and could influence policy decisions and public confidence in pandemic-era guidance.