Significant layoffs are currently transforming agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), notably impacting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Today, thousands of CDC employees received email notifications informing them that they were a part of the Trump administration’s initiative to reduce federal jobs, according to a report by Wired. High-ranking officials were also affected, with many placed on administrative leave, laid off, or reassigned to remote positions, as reported by The Washington Post.
Last week, HHS announced plans to downsize its workforce by 20,000. The repercussions of this decision are becoming increasingly apparent, affecting essential public health initiatives aimed at combating HIV, sexually transmitted diseases, respiratory infections, and foodborne illnesses, among others.
Dr. Jade Pagkas-Bather, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Chicago, expressed concerns to Wired, stating, “We’re going to have patients die. Unnecessary, preventable death.”
“Unnecessary, preventable death.”
HHS officials assert that the workforce reduction will lead to annual savings of $1.8 billion. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. stated in a press release regarding the restructuring, “Over time, bureaucracies like HHS become wasteful and inefficient even when most of their staff are dedicated and competent civil servants.”
Kennedy, known for his controversial stance against vaccinations and for spreading misinformation linking vaccines to autism, has drawn criticism from various health experts.
Under the FDA, the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), which oversees vaccine regulation, has also faced upheaval. Director Peter Marks submitted his resignation on Friday, expressing in his resignation letter that “it has become clear that truth and transparency are not desired by the Secretary, but rather he wishes subservient confirmation of his misinformation and lies.”
Former FDA Commissioner Robert Califf, who served under presidents Biden and Obama, lamented the situation, stating in a recent LinkedIn post, “The FDA as we’ve known it is finished, with most of the leaders with institutional knowledge and a deep understanding of product development and safety no longer employed.”
In response to inquiries, HHS press secretary Vianca Rodriguez Feliciano reassured the public in an email to Technology News, stating that “ongoing critical public health efforts will remain a top priority and will not be impacted by this administrative realignment.”
