A recent study shows that the COVID-19 vaccine significantly decreased the chances of emergency department visits and hospital stays among healthy adults during the previous winter. The vaccine was found to reduce such risks by about half.

Published on Tuesday in JAMA Network Open, a prominent peer-reviewed medical journal, the study initially faced hurdles when its publication was blocked earlier this year by the CDC due to concerns over its methodology. This decision was made by the then-interim director of the CDC, who had reservations about the approaches used in the analysis. However, the study has now been openly shared with the public, reinforcing the vaccine’s effectiveness during the winter months.

A photo from 2022 shows a woman receiving the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine in Maryland, capturing a moment from the extensive vaccination efforts carried out nationwide.