MIAMI, FLORIDA - MAY 29: In this photo illustration, Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 (L) and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines fill their syringes at Borinquen Health Care Center on May 29, 2025 in Miami, Florida. (Photo illustration by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
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CDC Acting Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya has delayed publication of a report that demonstrated the COVID-19 vaccine decreased the likelihood of hospitalizations and emergency room visits for healthy adults, according to reporting from the Washington Post.
CDC research found that between September and December of 2025, healthy adults who received the COVID vaccine reduced their likelihood of hospitalization by 55% and emergency department visits by 50%. This research was set to be published March 19 in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, but Bhattacharya delayed the release due to concerns on the methodology of the research.
The methodology in question, known as the “test-negative design,” has been used for decades by the CDC to evaluate vaccine effectiveness and was used recently to document the efficacy of the flu vaccine.
The test-negative design is a widely used epidemiologic method to estimate how well vaccines work in the real world. Instead of comparing vaccinated individuals with unvaccinated individuals in the general population, the test-negative design compares people who seek care for similar reasons, such as for those who seek care for a fever or cough. All these individuals with symptoms would get tested for the presence or absence of COVID-19. Those who test positive for the virus would be classified as cases, and those who tested negative would be classified as controls in the study. Then, researchers would compare vaccination status between cases and controls.
This test design is faster and often cheaper than partaking in a randomized control trial, which can be unethical to implement in the setting of vaccines since vaccines have been shown to decrease hospitalizations, illness and death. Denying participants the vaccine as part of the study design raises ethical concerns because of the known benefits of getting vaccines.
Despite its advantages, there are drawbacks of the test-negative design. The method does not account for hidden factors like individuals’ health conditions that could account for results in the study, and the design only includes people who seek testing, not asymptomatic individuals.
The new CDC research on the benefits of COVID-19 vaccine could prove beneficial for the American public, particularly because vaccine uptake rates have been far from optimal. As of February 22, fewer than 18% of U.S. adults received the COVID-19 booster in 2025, according to CDC data. Given the high level of vaccine hesitancy in the United States, more positive messaging from the federal government could turn the tide on improving vaccination rates for COVID-19.
Delaying publication of information about the effectiveness of the COVID-19 shot could undermine public health and science. Dr. Fiona Havers, a former senior advisor on vaccine policy at the CDC, said, “this is definitely an escalation of this administration’s undermining of CDC science. The fact that they are now blocking this is extremely concerning.”
Science should always be iterative and transparent. Delayed reporting disrupts transparency. When this occurs, independent researchers cannot validate or challenge results, and policymakers cannot weigh evidence appropriately. In the absence of official data, a vacuum can be created that can allow misinformation to propagate about the effectiveness of vaccines.
It will be up to the CDC to ensure the American public receives timely, accurate information regarding the efficacy of vaccines.
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