The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has halted publication of studies examining covid and shingles vaccines, according to a report by The Washington Post.
The agency did not publicly explain the decision. The affected studies were federally funded research projects that had been moving toward publication through normal scientific channels.
The halt covers work on two distinct vaccines: the covid-19 vaccines that have been administered to hundreds of millions of Americans since 2021, and shingles vaccines, which are routinely recommended for adults over 50. No details were released about the number of studies affected, their findings, or when or whether publication might resume.
The move drew attention in part because it came without the kind of public justification that typically accompanies significant changes in how federal health agencies handle research dissemination. The FDA did not issue a statement outlining the scope of the pause or which specific studies were involved.
