CDC Official Blocked COVID Vaccine Efficacy Report, WaPo Reveals

The Trump administration’s interference in vaccine science has escalated, according to a bombshell report from The Washington Post. Acting CDC Director Jay Bhattacharya secretly blocked the publication of a study demonstrating the significant public health benefits of COVID-19 vaccines.

Blocked Report Showed Vaccines Cut Hospitalization Risk by Over 50%

Two anonymous CDC scientists told WaPo that the suppressed report found COVID-19 vaccines drastically reduced the risk of severe outcomes for infected individuals. The study concluded:

• Healthy adults who received a vaccine saw a 50% reduction in urgent care visits after infection.
• Vaccinated individuals had a 55% lower risk of hospitalization compared to unvaccinated peers.

The report was scheduled for publication in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) on March 19, 2025. Bhattacharya delayed its release, citing concerns about the study’s methodology.

“Dr. Bhattacharya wants to make sure that the paper uses the most appropriate methodology for such a study.”

WaPo noted that a nearly identical report using the same methodology for the flu vaccine had been published in MMWR just one week earlier, raising questions about the inconsistency.

Anti-Vaccine Agenda Aligns with HHS Leadership

The suppression of the report follows a pattern of anti-vaccine actions by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), led by Secretary RFK Jr., a prominent vaccine skeptic. In 2025, the FDA—an HHS sub-agency—moved to severely restrict access to COVID-19 vaccines.

“The secretary has already taken steps to try and remove the availability of the vaccine from children and others. So if you’re putting out an MMWR that the vaccine is effective at preventing hospitalizations and medical care visits… that message is not in line with the direction you’ve been taking with the removal of the vaccine.”

Jernigan’s remarks highlight the conflict between the suppressed report’s findings and HHS’s restrictive vaccine policies under RFK Jr.’s leadership.

HHS Planned Controversial Vaccine Study in Guinea-Bissau

In late 2025, The Guardian exposed another HHS initiative: a planned study that would have withheld hepatitis B vaccines from 7,000 newborns in Guinea-Bissau. The study’s stated goal was to investigate a supposed link between the vaccine and unspecified neurological issues—a claim medical experts dismissed as baseless.

“He [RFK Jr] has a fixed, immutable belief that vaccines cause harm. He will do everything he can to try and prove that.”

Offit’s statement underscores the ideological opposition to vaccines driving HHS policies under Trump’s appointees.

CDC’s History of Controversy

This isn’t the first time the CDC has faced scrutiny. Earlier reports revealed bizarre internal practices, including a Twitter user uncovering a secret link to a cryptic CDC text file.