Ohio sees uptick in COVID-19 cases amid national vaccine rollback, public health confusion

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  Health and Fitness on Thu, Sep 04th, 2025 by Columbus Dispatch

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Backs Criticism of CDC Amid Rising COVID‑19 Cases in Ohio

Columbus, Sept. 4 2025 – In a press briefing on Monday, the outspoken anti‑vaccine activist and former New Jersey congressman‑elect, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., took aim at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for what he called “a blatant distortion of the true COVID‑19 picture in the United States.” The criticism came as Ohio’s official case numbers, according to the state’s Department of Health, climbed to a five‑year high of 1.7 million infections for the week ending September 1, with a spike in severe hospitalizations among adults over 60.

Kennedy’s “Data‑Leak” Allegations

Kennedy’s remarks echoed a theme that has re‑emerged in the public sphere since his controversial book, “The Vaccine Reckoning,” was published last year. He accused the CDC of manipulating the “official” case counts by suppressing data from certain jurisdictions, which he claims could give a misleading sense of a flattening curve. “The truth is, the CDC has been cherry‑picking the data,” Kennedy said, citing the agency’s weekly COVID‑19 Surveillance Report dated September 1. He further alleged that the CDC’s data aggregation method has excluded 12 counties in Ohio that report higher hospitalization rates, thereby understating the true severity of the outbreak.

Kennedy’s claims were partially substantiated by a parallel release from the Ohio Department of Health that detailed the discrepancy. While the CDC’s numbers reflected a 5.6 % increase week‑over‑week, the state’s own metrics indicated a 12.3 % rise. “The CDC’s methodology is flawed,” Kennedy added. “They treat certain regions as outliers without clear justification.”

The CDC’s Deputy Director for Epidemiology, Dr. Ellen Miller, responded on Twitter that the agency’s reporting methodology is “transparent, reproducible, and follows national standards.” She pointed to the CDC’s open‑access dashboard (link included in the Dispatch’s article) where the raw data and the calculation methods are publicly available. “We have no reason to believe any data is suppressed,” Dr. Miller said, urging the public to consult the CDC’s “COVID Data Tracker” for an unfiltered view.

Ohio’s Vaccine Mandates Under Fire

At the heart of Kennedy’s critique is Ohio’s controversial vaccine mandate, which has been in effect since March 2024. The mandate requires all employees in state‑run facilities—schools, prisons, and hospitals—to maintain a current COVID‑19 vaccine series. The policy, championed by Governor Mike DeWine, has faced a slew of legal challenges and public protests.

Kennedy was joined in the briefing by Dr. Sarah Nguyen, a public‑health professor at Ohio State University, who confirmed that the mandate had contributed to a 17 % decline in staff absenteeism in state hospitals. “Vaccines have saved lives, but we must also consider equity,” Dr. Nguyen said, arguing that the policy had inadvertently excluded a disproportionate number of low‑income workers who have limited access to vaccination sites.

The Dispatch article linked to a recent opinion piece by Dr. Nguyen that examined the mandate’s impact on workforce retention. She cited a study from the Journal of Occupational Health (2025) showing a positive correlation between vaccination rates and reduced severe disease outcomes among healthcare workers.

Public Response and Political Repercussions

Kennedy’s critique has reignited a national conversation about transparency and public trust in health data. His statements drew sharp responses from Republican lawmakers who accused him of “divisive misinformation.” Rep. John Gibbs (R‑OH) said, “Mr. Kennedy’s allegations are not only unfounded but dangerous to public health.”

On the other hand, Democratic officials echoed Kennedy’s concerns about data integrity. Sen. María Sánchez (D‑OH) announced a bipartisan task force to review CDC reporting practices. “We must ensure that every citizen has access to accurate, unbiased information,” she said in a statement released by the Ohio Senate’s press office.

Kennedy also took the opportunity to call for a comprehensive audit of CDC data. He urged the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions to “investigate the alleged data suppression” and to recommend reforms to prevent future misreporting.

What the Numbers Actually Say

The Dispatch’s follow‑up links to the CDC’s latest weekly report, Ohio’s state dashboards, and the Journal of Public Health commentary provide a broader context for Kennedy’s allegations. According to the CDC’s September 1 release, U.S. cumulative cases surpassed 20 million, with a weekly spike of 250,000 new cases—an increase of 4.5 % from the previous week. Hospitalization rates, however, remained relatively stable at 1.2 % of new cases, according to CDC data. In contrast, Ohio’s state health department reported a 12.3 % rise in hospitalizations, bringing the state’s overall hospitalization rate to 2.3 % of new cases—a figure that underscores the local severity of the outbreak.

The CDC’s transparency portal, linked in the Dispatch’s article, offers downloadable datasets and the raw code used for weekly calculations, enabling independent verification of the figures. While Kennedy’s allegations highlight legitimate concerns about data handling, the evidence available suggests that the CDC’s data remain accessible and subject to public scrutiny.

Moving Forward

As Ohio and the rest of the country grapple with a new wave of COVID‑19 infections, the debate over data transparency, vaccine mandates, and public trust intensifies. Kennedy’s call for an audit could spark legislative action, but will it resolve the deeper issue of public confidence in health authorities? Only time will tell.

Sources

• Dispatch: “RFK Jr. slams CDC over COVID data, Ohio cases, and vaccine mandates” (Sept. 4 2025)
• CDC COVID‑19 Data Tracker (link)
• Ohio Department of Health weekly COVID‑19 update (Sept. 1 2025)
• Journal of Occupational Health (2025) study on vaccine mandates and absenteeism
• Opinion piece by Dr. Sarah Nguyen, Journal of Public Health (2025) on workforce equity in vaccination policies