Jay Bhattacharya pulls Covid booster effectiveness study
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · May 7
Jay Bhattacharya pulls Covid booster effectiveness study
10 articles · Updated · The Guardian · May 7
The unpublished CDC paper found the latest booster was 50% effective against emergency visits and 55% against urgent-care visits among adults.
Researchers and doctors said the study used standard methods, had passed normal CDC and MMWR review, and was halted amid wider restrictions on vaccine-related communications.
The report also cites FDA and NIH cases and CDC-linked conference edits tied to Trump executive orders, raising concerns about censorship, public trust and future access to seasonal vaccines.
How might new controls on scientific research impact America's ability to fight future pandemics?
As public trust in health agencies wanes, where can Americans find reliable medical guidance?
When health agencies and doctors disagree on vaccines, who should families trust for medical advice?
Political Censorship at CDC: Suppression of Booster Study Demonstrating 50% Fewer Hospital Visits
Overview
In Spring 2026, the CDC blocked a key study showing COVID-19 boosters reduced hospital visits by over 50%, after Acting Director Jay Bhattacharya objected to its standard test-negative design methodology. Despite passing internal review, Bhattacharya's demands to change the study were refused by the authors, leading to the study being shelved. This action, influenced by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s vaccine skepticism and political interference, sparked widespread condemnation from the scientific community and fueled public distrust. Kennedy's broader reshaping of vaccine policy and agency leadership has undermined public health trust, threatened vaccine programs, and compromised the integrity of U.S. disease prevention efforts.