"The study authors note that the unexplained pauses could be direct targeting of vaccine-related data collection by the administration-or they could be an indirect consequence of the tumult Kennedy and the Trump administration have inflicted on the CDC, including brutal budget and staff cuts. But Marrazzo argues that the exact mechanism doesn't matter. "Either causative pathway demonstrates a profound disregard for human life, scientific progress, and the dedication of the public health workforce that has provided a bulwark against the advance of emerging, and reemerging, infectious diseases," she writes."
"Marrazzo emphasizes that the lack of current data not only hampers outbreak response efforts but also helps the health secretary realize his vision for the CDC. Kennedy, "who has stated baldly that the CDC failed to protect Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic, is now enacting a self-fulfilling prophecy. The CDC as it currently exists is no longer the stalwart, reliable source of public health data that for decades has set the global bar for rigorous public health practice.""
A lack of updated vaccine data undermines the ability of federal and state health officials to identify and rapidly respond to emerging outbreaks and to target vaccination outreach to the most affected communities or demographics. Unexplained pauses in vaccine-related data collection could reflect direct targeting of those systems or be an indirect result of budget cuts, staffing reductions, and administrative turmoil at public health agencies. The resulting information gaps risk dire consequences for preventable infections, weaken outbreak response capacity, and erode the CDC's role as a reliable global standard for public health data and practice.
Read at Ars Technica
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