The Centers for Disease and Prevention (CDC) is responsible for real-time surveillance of vaccine-preventable diseases. This information informs clinical guidance and public health policy. On Jan. 27, 2026, researchers from Vanderbilt University, the University of North Carolina, and Boston University published their findings on 82 CDC databases that had been updated monthly before RFK Jr. became Secretary of Health and Human Services (Jacobs JW, Booth GS, Brewer NT, et al. Unexplained pauses in Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Surveillance: Erosion of the public evidence base for health policy. Ann Intern Med. 2026 Jan 27).
The investigators found that 44 of the 82 databases continued to be updated monthly, whereas 38 had unexplained pauses. None of the 44 databases that were updated provided information about vaccines. Among the 38 databases that had unexplained pauses, 33 (87%) reported on vaccination-related topics. This appears to be a deliberate attempt by the CDC to withhold information from the public about immunization rates and rates of vaccine-preventable diseases.
The authors concluded, “The erosion of federal health surveillance poses risks for clinical practice and public health decision making. Without current data on disease burden, vaccination coverage, behavioral health indicators, and demographic disparities, clinicians cannot identify emerging threats or focus on meeting the needs of specific populations.”
Contributed by: Paul A. Offit, MD
The Centers for Disease and Prevention (CDC) is responsible for real-time surveillance of vaccine-preventable diseases. This information informs clinical guidance and public health policy. On Jan. 27, 2026, researchers from Vanderbilt University, the University of North Carolina, and Boston University published their findings on 82 CDC databases that had been updated monthly before RFK Jr. became Secretary of Health and Human Services (Jacobs JW, Booth GS, Brewer NT, et al. Unexplained pauses in Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Surveillance: Erosion of the public evidence base for health policy. Ann Intern Med. 2026 Jan 27).
The investigators found that 44 of the 82 databases continued to be updated monthly, whereas 38 had unexplained pauses. None of the 44 databases that were updated provided information about vaccines. Among the 38 databases that had unexplained pauses, 33 (87%) reported on vaccination-related topics. This appears to be a deliberate attempt by the CDC to withhold information from the public about immunization rates and rates of vaccine-preventable diseases.
The authors concluded, “The erosion of federal health surveillance poses risks for clinical practice and public health decision making. Without current data on disease burden, vaccination coverage, behavioral health indicators, and demographic disparities, clinicians cannot identify emerging threats or focus on meeting the needs of specific populations.”
Contributed by: Paul A. Offit, MD