The Trump administration has laid off hundreds of employees at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as part of a broader reduction in force during the ongoing government shutdown. The cuts affect major CDC divisions, including the Epidemic Intelligence Service, the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, and the staff of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, according to officials who spoke with NewsNation.
Public health experts said the move could leave the United States dangerously unprepared for future disease outbreaks. Dr. Catharine Young of Harvard called the layoffs a “Friday night massacre,” while virologist Dr. Angela Rasmussen warned the agency was being “eviscerated.” Reports suggest between 1,100 and 1,300 employees were terminated.
The layoffs follow months of leadership turmoil under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose vaccine policies and removal of senior scientists have drawn bipartisan criticism. Lawmakers from both parties have demanded congressional oversight of the administration’s public health decisions.
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