Federal public health surveillance data supports clinical guidance, public health policy and practice and health system planning. We all rely on it to monitor disease trends, evaluate interventions, and respond to emerging threats. When these data systems aren’t maintained, evidence-based decision-making suffers.
So, it won’t surprise you that since Kennedy assumed leadership at HHS a host of CDC public data systems have been abandoned and are now stagnant with no updates.
Among CDC databases that were previously updated monthly, 46% are now stagnant. Of the databases classified as stagnant or abandoned, 89% have no data entries within the past six months. Most notably, 87% of the stagnant databases are related to vaccination or infectious diseases – making it obvious that this isn’t just incompetence- it’s malfeasance.
The responsibility for supporting federal surveillance capacity rests with departmental leadership. Under Kennedy’s tenure, CDC has experienced significant staff losses and programmatic disruption, particularly in areas related to immunization and infectious disease.
Federal data systems that once provided prompt, standardized information are no longer doing so. This weakens situational awareness for states and local health departments, complicates clinical guidance, and degrades the evidence base for health policy.
Public health surveillance depends on consistent leadership support and insulation from political ideology. Under Secretary Kennedy’s approach has resulted in a measurable erosion of CDC’s data function, with consequences for clinical care, public health practice, and policy development.
Perhaps in 3 years we can dig out of this hole, but it will be hard.