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President Trump on Monday called on pharmaceutical companies to publish their data on the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines, arguing that the debate over their impact has deeply divided the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

“It is very important that the Drug Companies justify the success of their various Covid Drugs. 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 on Truth Social.

He added, “I have been shown information from Pfizer, and others, that is extraordinary, but they never seem to show those results to the public. Why not??? They go off to the next ‘hunt’ and let everyone rip themselves apart, including Bobby Kennedy Jr. and CDC, trying to figure out the success or failure of the Drug Companies Covid work.”

Trump’s administration launched Operation Warp Speed in 2020, which fast-tracked the development and approval of vaccines. By 2025, more than 711 million doses had been administered in the US, with at least 70% of Americans receiving two shots. However, the vaccines faced criticism for not preventing breakthrough infections.

Though Trump has often praised the vaccine rollout, describing it as a “Christmas miracle,” public confidence has shifted. A recent Kaiser Family Foundation poll showed that only 30% of Republicans now believe the vaccine is safe, compared to 55% of independents and 87% of Democrats.

The issue has also fueled turmoil within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., known for his skepticism toward vaccines, recently ended emergency authorization for COVID shots for most healthy adults and children. CDC Director Susan Monarez was subsequently dismissed after less than a month in office, with her lawyers arguing she was ousted for defending vaccines and refusing to fire health officials.

Following her removal, several senior CDC officials resigned in protest, including Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, Dr. Dan Jernigan, and Dr. Deb Houry. Kennedy’s shifting positions on vaccines — from calling COVID shots “the deadliest vaccine ever made” in 2021 to saying in 2024 that people who benefit from them should be free to use them — have added to the controversy.

Trump himself has emphasized the success of Operation Warp Speed, saying in 2020: “We are delivering millions of doses of a safe and effective vaccine that will soon end this terrible pandemic and save millions and millions of lives.” Meanwhile, House Republicans continue to investigate whether vaccine production was deliberately slowed ahead of the 2020 election, even subpoenaing a former Pfizer scientist in July.