President Donald Trump raised questions about COVID-19 vaccine efficacy on Monday, demanding pharmaceutical companies publicly demonstrate their effectiveness whilst claiming the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is being “ripped apart” by vaccine debates.
Trump posted on Truth Social that he wants drug manufacturers to show vaccine data “NOW, to CDC and the public, and clear up this MESS, one way or the other.” He questioned whether his Operation Warp Speed programme was as successful as claimed, writing: “I hope OPERATION WARP SPEED was as ‘BRILLIANT’ as many say it was. If not, we all want to know about it, and why?”
The comments represent Trump’s first public statements about the CDC since Dr. Susan Monarez was dismissed as director on Wednesday, less than a month into her tenure following disagreements over vaccine policy with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Trump’s position reflects his ongoing effort to balance celebrating what he has called his greatest accomplishment, rapid COVID-19 vaccine development in 2020, with accommodating vaccine scepticism among his political base and Kennedy’s anti-vaccine advocacy.
“Many people think they are a miracle that saved Millions of lives. Others disagree! With CDC being ripped apart over this question, I want the answer, and I want it NOW,” Trump wrote about the vaccines.
The president claimed pharmaceutical companies withhold “extraordinary” information he has seen, suggesting they “go off to the next ‘hunt’ and let everyone rip themselves apart, including Bobby Kennedy Jr. and CDC.”
Drug companies routinely share effectiveness data through news releases, investor calls, scientific publications, and presentations to regulatory agencies. The CDC regularly analyses and communicates vaccine effectiveness and safety information to healthcare providers and the public.
White House spokesman Kush Desai declined to specify what data Trump seeks from manufacturers but stated: “The only driving principle of health decision-making in this Administration is Gold Standard Science.”
Trump’s comments followed the Food and Drug Administration’s decision to narrow approval for the next COVID vaccine, limiting eligibility to people over 65 or those with certain health conditions. The move prompted criticism from public health experts and confusion about vaccine access.
FDA Commissioner Marty Makary defended the decision in a Wall Street Journal op-ed, arguing manufacturers haven’t justified broader vaccination needs. “No one knows how many shots a healthy person should get in his natural life,” Makary wrote.
Despite questioning vaccine effectiveness, Trump praised Operation Warp Speed as “one of the greatest achievements ever in politics” during a recent Cabinet meeting. However, he supports Kennedy’s efforts to overhaul government vaccine policy, including Monarez’s dismissal after she refused to endorse recommendations from Kennedy-selected advisers who have questioned vaccine safety.
Monarez’s firing prompted resignations of four senior CDC officials who accused Kennedy and allies of sidelining agency scientists to pursue policies that could restrict standard immunisation availability. The leadership crisis has raised concerns about politicisation of public health decisions and potential impacts on vaccine confidence.
