What the study found
Many CDC surveillance databases that had been updated at least monthly were paused by 28 October 2025. Of the 82 such databases identified, 38 were paused and 44 were current.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors conclude that long pauses may have compromised evidence used for decisions and policies by clinicians, administrators, professional organizations, and policymakers. They also say federal databases should have minimum transparency standards, including current update status, a reason if paused, and the next expected update with criteria for resumption.
What the researchers tested
The researchers audited the CDC public data catalog on 28 October 2025 to identify databases that had previously been updated at least monthly. They classified each database as current or paused based on its stated periodicity plus a 30-day grace period, and they checked whether pauses persisted on 2 December 2025.
What worked and what didn't
Among the 38 paused databases, 34 had no data entries dated within 6 months of the analysis date, and 4 had paused more recently. Thirty-three of the paused databases were about vaccination, while none of the current databases were vaccination-related. Of the five paused databases on other topics, four were about respiratory diseases and one was about public health, specifically drug overdose deaths. By 2 December 2025, only 1 of the 38 paused databases had been updated.
What to keep in mind
The abstract does not describe all reasons for the pauses or whether each pause affected specific policy decisions. The findings apply to the CDC public data catalog examined on the stated dates and to databases that had previously been updated at least monthly.
Key points
- The audit found 82 CDC databases that had been updated at least monthly before 28 October 2025.
- Of those 82 databases, 38 were classified as paused and 44 as current.
- Most paused databases were vaccination-related; 33 of 38 paused databases covered vaccination topics.
- Only 1 of the 38 paused databases had been updated by 2 December 2025.
- The authors say the pauses may have compromised evidence for clinical and policy decisions.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Many CDC surveillance databases had unexplained update pauses
- Authors:
- Jeremy W. Jacobs, Garrett S. Booth, Noel T. Brewer, Janet Freilich
- Institutions:
- Vanderbilt University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Department of Health, Brigham and Women's Hospital
- Publication date:
- 2026-01-26
- OpenAlex record:
- View
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