Thirty-eight of 82 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention databases expected to update at least monthly had unexplained lapses in reporting by October 2025, and only one resumed updating when rechecked in December, according to a recent study.
In a systematic audit published in Annals of Internal Medicine, researchers reported that 38 of 82 frequently updated Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) databases (46%) were no longer current as of October 28, 2025.
Vaccination surveillance accounted for most of the affected databases, with 33 of the 38 paused databases (87%) focused on vaccination-related topics, while none of the 44 databases that remained current addressed vaccination.
The researchers conducted a cross-sectional review of the CDC public data catalog to characterize the scope and timing of these interruptions. Metadata from all 1,359 catalog entries were extracted, including titles, identifiers, issue dates, and stated update periodicity. Databases were eligible if they had live webpages and indicated update frequencies of at least monthly and were excluded if labeled as archived or lacking comparable data from 2023 to 2024. Eighty-two databases met inclusion criteria. An unexplained pause was defined as failure to update by the expected date, calculated using the stated update interval plus a 30-day grace period, without any public explanation such as a banner, notice, or press release.
Among the 38 paused databases, 34 (89%) had no data entries within the preceding 6 months, with last updates clustering between January and April 2025. Vaccination surveillance dominated the paused group, whereas none of the 44 databases that remained current addressed vaccination. Influenza, COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus were the most affected topics, with several databases covering more than one vaccine-preventable disease. Other paused databases tracked respiratory disease burden, emergency department visits for infectious illnesses, and provisional drug overdose deaths.
Paused databases frequently included stratified data on age, pregnancy status, race and ethnicity, and insurance type, with nearly half reporting information on children or non-senior adults and more than half including seniors. These databases continued to receive substantial use, with median page views exceeding 2,500 and median downloads exceeding 1,000 in October 2025.
"Without safeguards, unexplained pauses in surveillance undermine evidence-based medicine and erode public trust at a time when both are critically needed," stated lead study author Jeremy W. Jacobs, MD, MHS, of the Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, and colleagues.
The researchers noted several limitations. The analysis assessed database status at two time points, and subsequent updates may not have been captured. By focusing on databases updated at least monthly, less frequently updated systems with unexplained pauses may have been overlooked. The review relied on publicly available metadata and visible notices, limiting insight into internal communications or nonpublic explanations for delays. Because the analysis was conducted at the database level, some paused datasets may have been integrated into other systems without clear documentation, and the researchers were unable to determine the reasons for individual pauses.
An accompanying editorial reported that nearly half of CDC databases with regular monthly updates had unexplained pauses, and that approximately nine out of 10 of those paused databases reported information on vaccinations or vaccine-preventable diseases, including data on nirsevimab use for respiratory syncytial virus prevention. The editorial noted that the US is currently experiencing its largest measles outbreak in more than 30 years, cases of pertussis and associated deaths have reached record levels, and more children died of influenza in the 2024-2025 season than ever before, with 90% of pediatric flu deaths occurring in unvaccinated patients. These trends coincide with declining infant vaccine coverage.
"Failing to provide access to accurate, timely data about infectious disease trends serves 2 malign purposes: undermining our ability to recognize outbreaks or escalation of disease, and thus, respond rapidly and promoting confusion about what is really happening on the front lines of public health," noted editorial author Jeanne Marrazzo, MD, MPH, of the Infectious Diseases Society of America in Arlington, Virginia.
"Such long pauses may have compromised evidence for decision making and policies by clinicians, administrators, professional organizations, and policymakers," the researchers wrote. "Federal databases should adopt minimum transparency standards, including displaying the current update status, with a rationale if paused, and next expected update with criteria for resumption."
Full disclosures can be found online.
