The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has ordered staff not to release their experts’ assessment that found the risk of catching measles is high in areas near outbreaks where vaccination rates are lagging. The agency had planned to emphasize the importance of vaccinating people against the highly contagious disease, but decided against releasing the information due to concerns about public perception.
According to internal Q&A documents, modelers at the CDC determined the risk of measles for the general public is low, but found the risk is high in communities with low vaccination rates that are near outbreaks or share close social ties to those areas. However, leadership has expressed concerns about putting this information on the website due to potential backlash.
The decision comes as the number of confirmed cases of measles in the US continues to rise. Over 30 agency staff were told not to pursue releasing the information after a discussion in the CDC director’s office. The cancellation was “not normal at all” and has raised concerns among CDC staff about the direction of public health messaging.
The shift in messaging is attributed to HHS Secretary Alex Azar, who has been pushing an anti-vaccine agenda. In February, Azar downplayed the seriousness of a measles outbreak in Texas, saying that outbreaks occur every year. He also recommended treating measles with vitamin A supplements instead of vaccination.
As a result, CDC staff have been divided on how to approach public health messaging during this outbreak. While some are calling for a renewed focus on vaccination, others are concerned about alienating unvaccinated communities and pushing back against what they see as an anti-vaccine agenda.
Source: https://arstechnica.com/health/2025/03/the-cdc-buried-a-measles-forecast-that-stressed-the-need-for-vaccinations