Episode Details

The CDC has long collected and publicly reported data on infectious diseases, vaccination rates, overdose deaths, and other health topics. But in 2025, many of these datasets inexplicably went dark. In this episode: the importance of real-time data in implementing public health solutions and the potential consequences of these lapses in reporting.

Janet Freilich, JD, is a professor at the Boston University School of Law. She writes and teaches in the areas of patent law, intellectual property, information law, and civil procedure.

Stephanie Desmon, MA, is a former journalist, author, and the director of public relations and communications for the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs.

• Unexplained Pauses in Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Surveillance: Erosion of the Public Evidence Base for Health Policy—Annals of Internal Medicine

• Dozens of CDC vaccination databases have been frozen under RFK Jr.—Ars Technica

• The Changing CDC Website—Public Health On Call (February 2025)

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