Northwestern researchers warn the blocking of research on COVID-19 and shingles vaccines by the Food and Drug Administration damages public health and trust.

According to The New York Times, the FDA blocked two COVID-19 vaccine studies in October 2025 and studies of a shingles vaccine in February. 

In April, The Washington Post reported that the acting head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention canceled the publication of a report by CDC scientists on COVID-19 vaccine efficacy. 

Feinberg Prof. Dr. Robert Murphy, an infectious disease expert, said he thought the CDC’s justification for the cancellation was inadequate. 

“Their own data is showing how effective these vaccines are,” Murphy said. “They’re all of a sudden saying, ‘Oh, we don’t like the methodology.’ It’s not the methodology; they just don’t like vaccines, and it’s a very dangerous thing.”

Andrew Nixon, a spokesman for the Department of Health and Human Services, said in an email to Reuters that there were concerns that the conclusions of the studies “were not supported by the underlying data.”

Anthropology Prof. Thomas McDade, a biological anthropologist, said access to information about any healthcare intervention is necessary for the public to have confidence in the healthcare system. 

“It’s a betrayal of the public trust to not allow us to have free and open access to that information,” McDade said. 

With the FDA blocking the studies, McDade said he thinks it is a challenging time for public health but that leadership from outside the federal government will help people persevere. 

“States and local municipalities are stepping up and taking more of a leadership role with respect to things like vaccination and other aspects of public health,” McDade said. “Even if the federal government pulls back a bit, I still feel like we can have confidence in the system moving forward, particularly when it’s done in a fact-based and transparent way.”

McDade added that he was “proud” of Illinois’ handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to Illinoisians’ access to vaccines, he said, they were able to return to normal life sooner than other parts of the U.S.

In addition to state-level leadership, Murphy said Americans can also turn to professional societies such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Infectious Disease Society of America and the American College of Physicians for guidance.

“We went from being like the top research country in the world to basically the laughing stock,” Murphy said. “People can’t believe what’s coming out of the U.S. right now. Now, again, we have some good state health departments, and we have our professional societies, and that’s where we have to rely on them.”

Feinberg Prof. Michael Angarone said he is concerned that some of the public may no longer trust organizations once thought of as operating with the aim of helping everyone. 

He said he viewed the FDA blocking the studies as an abuse of power, adding that he thinks the people in power in the health services have an agenda and are using their position to further it. 

“This is not the way that science should work,” Angarone said. “Science should not care about your political leaning.” 

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