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2mo ago

Trump Administration Cuts CDC 'Disease Detectives' Program, Raising Public Health Concerns

Nearly half of the CDC's Epidemic Intelligence Service officers were dismissed as part of broader federal workforce reductions, sparking fears about the nation's ability to address health threats.

This photograph depicts Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) officers, Marissa Grossman (foreground), and Cam-Van Huynh (EIS Class of 2022), while at the Connecticut State Public Health Laboratory, examining antimicrobial resistance patterns in bacterial isolates that were part of a multistate outbreak.
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A sign with the logo for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia

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.