Overview

• The restructuring plan reduces HHS staffing by 25%, cutting 10,000 jobs through layoffs and eliminating 10,000 more positions via voluntary separations.
• Key agencies impacted include the FDA, CDC, NIH, and CMS, with thousands of layoffs affecting public health capabilities and disease response efforts.
• HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s leadership has faced criticism for promoting vaccine misinformation, with the resignation of FDA vaccine regulator Dr. Peter Marks intensifying concerns.
• The overhaul consolidates agencies under the new Administration for a Healthy America, absorbing programs like addiction services and community health centers.
• Market disruptions have followed, with vaccine manufacturers like Moderna and Novavax experiencing significant stock declines linked to the leadership changes and restructuring.