The CDC cited an unpublished study from India as the reasoning behind its updated mask recommendation for vaccinated people.
CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said on Tuesday that she had seen “new scientific data from recent outbreak investigations” on the Delta variant and vaccinations.
“Information from several states and other countries indicates that in rare occasions, some vaccinated people infected with the Delta variants after vaccination may be contagious and spread the virus to others,” she said.
The study in question claimed that the Delta Variant produced an unusually large viral load in more than 100 vaccinated healthcare workers.
However, it failed peer review in the journal Nature when the CDC cited it.
The “studies from India” the CDC cited “noted relatively high viral loads and larger cluster sizes associated with infections with Delta, regardless of vaccination status.”
Ironically enough, however, the study deals with vaccines not authorized for use in the United States, and archives show it was marked “reject” on July 26.
“These early data suggest that breakthrough Delta infections are transmissible. Unpublished data are consistent with this, and additional data collection and studies are underway to understand the level and duration of transmissibility from Delta vaccine breakthrough infections in the United States and other settings,” the CDC said.
Wednesday morning, the reject status and review notes were removed and replaced with “posted,” suggesting Nature had approved the paper without revisions, per Just the News.
The review notes disappeared from the “peer review” timeline later in the afternoon, leaving the current status as “under review.”
In the simplest of terms, the CDC is using data from one study in India that was rejected in peer review to justify their reasoning for recommending vaccinated people wear masks indoors.
