At least 600 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) employees have received permanent termination notices following a court ruling that left many unprotected amid a federal restructuring effort.
Mike Stobbe reports for The Associated Press.
In short:
- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is finalizing layoffs of at least 600 CDC employees as part of a broader government restructuring aimed at downsizing federal health agencies.
- A federal judge's ruling earlier this month shielded some CDC employees from termination, but many, including those in violence prevention and the Freedom of Information office, were not protected.
- Among the cuts are approximately 100 experts in violence prevention, just weeks after a mass shooting at the CDC campus that killed a police officer and shattered more than 150 windows.
Key quote:
“The irony is devastating: The very experts trained to understand, interrupt and prevent this kind of violence were among those whose jobs were eliminated.”
— a group of affected CDC employees, writing in a blog post
Why this matters:
The termination of public health staff at the CDC comes at a time when the nation faces ongoing challenges with health misinformation, climate-related illness, and rising rates of violence. The loss of experts working in reproductive health, environmental health, and workplace safety weakens the nation's ability to respond to complex public health crises, particularly those affecting vulnerable populations.
Related: Public health system unravels as federal cuts leave communities exposed to disease threats
