US CDC chief stopped Covid vaccine study, claim reports

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in US stopped the publication of a study that showed Covid vaccines reduced hospital visits and emergency cases last winter, as per reports.

A Health Department spokesperson reportedly said that the acting head Dr Jay Bhattacharya decided against publishing the study. 

As per reports, Dr Bhattacharya reasoned that  study’s design was not correct and gave a wrong idea about how effective the vaccine is. The study was reportedly done by CDC scientists, and it measured vaccine effectiveness by checking the vaccination status of people who went to hospitals and emergency rooms.

Experts say this method has been used for many years to study flu vaccines in real life situations. As per reports, vaccine expert Dr Fiona Havers, who left the CDC in June, said that this method is commonly used by scientists and is considered reliable.

This has raised questions about how vaccine research is being handled and whether important findings are being delayed or blocked in US, with some public health experts worrying that stopping such studies could affect trust in vaccines. 

The CDC has not yet said if the study will be changed and published later for now, the situation has started a debate among scientists and health officials about research methods.