RFK Jr. lets CDC vaccination data rot; dozens of databases frozen

A recent study has revealed troubling findings regarding the status of databases maintained by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Conducted by Janet Freilich, a law scholar from Boston University, alongside Jeremy Jacobs, a medical professor at Vanderbilt University, the research highlights that nearly half of the CDC's databases, which were previously updated monthly, have been inexplicably frozen. As of early 2025, the study identified a total of 82 databases that were consistently receiving updates. However, by October 2025, only 44 of these databases continued to receive regular updates, leaving 38—representing 46 percent—of them stagnant without any public explanation. Alarmingly, the research indicated that vaccination data appears to be the most significantly impacted by these data freezes. Of the 38 databases that have stopped updating, a staggering 33—approximately 87 percent—contained vaccination-related information. In contrast, none of the databases that are still being updated include vaccination data. Other paused databases pertain to critical information on infectious diseases, including hospitalization data for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The study noted that the types of vaccinations most affected include those for influenza, COVID-19, and RSV, with two frozen databases encompassing all three vaccines. When researchers revisited the databases in December, they found that only one had received an update, leaving 37 databases completely out of date. The implications of these findings are particularly concerning given the current Health Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has a history of opposing vaccinations and has been vocal about his skepticism towards vaccine initiatives. The researchers expressed their alarm, stating, "Given the vaccine skepticism of the Secretary of Health and Human Services, it is concerning that nearly 90 percent of the paused databases relate to vaccination surveillance, with additional gaps in respiratory disease monitoring."