The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has opened up COVID vaccine procurement without offering any public explanation, according to Techdirt. The decision comes amid a tenure at the Department of Health and Human Services that has repeatedly clashed with the transparency commitments made by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during his confirmation process.
Kennedy had explicitly promised Congress that his approach would be one of "radical transparency." But the CDC's quiet procurement shift appears to contradict that pledge, as no rationale or procedural details have been released. Techdirt frames this as another instance of the administration breaking its stated openness commitments in "spectacular fashion."
The lack of explanation is particularly notable given the sensitivity of COVID vaccine policy and the public scrutiny it continues to attract. Without a disclosed justification, the move leaves questions about cost, supply, and selection criteria unanswered, and it reinforces concerns that transparency promises are not being translated into practice at the agency level.