Overview

• The Trump administration has fired nearly half of the CDC's Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) officers, a prestigious group of public health experts known as 'disease detectives.'
• The cuts are part of a broader effort to reduce the federal workforce, overseen by the Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk.
• Public health experts warn that the loss of EIS officers, who are critical in responding to outbreaks and bioterror threats, will significantly weaken the nation's health security.
• The EIS program, established in 1951, has played a key role in combating major health crises, including smallpox eradication, Ebola containment, and COVID-19 response.
• The dismissals coincide with new Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s controversial stance on infectious disease research, which has drawn criticism from health professionals.