“This Can’t Possibly Improve American Health”
HIV prevention, anti-smoking campaigns, and miner safety are just a few of the public health initiatives apparently excluded from President Donald Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy’s plan to “Make America Healthy Again.” This comes in the wake of the abrupt dismissal of 10,000 employees at leading national health organizations this past Tuesday.
The massive layoffs affected both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Numerous employees were only informed of their termination upon arriving at work, being immediately sent back home.
CNN’s Kayla Tausche reported that dismissed staff at the HHS facility in Rockville, Maryland, were made to exit past a line of their peers, who were themselves anxiously awaiting news of their job statuses, in what resembled a “walk of shame.”
Those let go late Monday into Tuesday represent a fraction of the over 100,000 federal jobs eliminated since Trump assumed office and appointed billionaire Elon Musk to lead the newly created Department of Government Efficiency. Just last week, Kennedy declared a cut in the federal health agency workforce from roughly 82,000 to 62,000 employees, making way for what he termed “the Administration for a Healthy America” within HHS.
“We will achieve more with fewer resources,” Kennedy stated, who has publicly questioned the scientifically established benefits of vaccines and baselessly alleged that chronic disease rates surged during former President Joe Biden’s term.
Kennedy also announced last week that he would centralize control of communications for these health agencies under his authority, affecting numerous employees tasked with public information roles.
USA Today was informed by one official that twenty individuals handling public communications for an NIH initiative that studies volunteer genetics for health research were placed on administrative leave on Tuesday, a likely precursor to permanent layoffs.
The FDA’s Office of Media Affairs and the majority of the communications staff for the agency’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, which is responsible for publicizing information about drug approvals, shortages, and safety concerns, were also dismantled.
“The immediate impact of these HHS layoffs might not be noticeable to the general public,” noted Larry Levitt, executive vice president of KFF. “However, the long-term effects could significantly impair accessible health information, care and prevention services, and the oversight of health and social services.”
Other affected employees include those from internal agencies dedicated to the health of the elderly, disabled, and minority groups, as well as workers involved in research on asthma, lead poisoning, radiation effects, and health issues related to extreme heat and wildfires.
The administration seemed particularly focused on dismantling HIV prevention efforts, placing the director of the National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention on leave and disbanding teams involved in HIV research and surveillance.
Despite Kennedy’s recent assertions about combating chronic illness, he provided no concrete strategies for improving federal management of conditions like heart disease or diabetes. According to The New York Times, the CDC saw the elimination of entire departments that study chronic diseases and environmental health issues.
On LinkedIn, former FDA Commissioner Robert Califf remarked, “The FDA as we know it is over,” highlighting the loss of critical institutional knowledge due to the mass firings. Califf, who served under Biden and Obama, added, “This will be seen as a colossal error in hindsight. I hope I’m mistaken, but even so, there’s no justification for this kind of treatment of personnel.”
Journalist Sam Stein from The Bulwark described the extensive layoffs as “an absolute bloodbath,” decimating a generation of scientists and healthcare professionals.
Dr. Craig Spencer, a professor at Brown University, warned, “We will regret this. These are individuals who ensure the safety of the medicines we and our children use. They conduct and oversee research on cancer, infant health, and much more. They certify the effectiveness of new medical devices used by healthcare providers and patients alike. And now, they’re being let go. This certainly won’t make Americans healthier.”
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