Reports indicate that thousands of federal health workers from agencies such as the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) are facing job cuts under the Trump administration. The cuts primarily affect probationary employees who were recently hired, with affected workers expected to receive four weeks' pay.
At the CDC, approximately 1,300 employees are at risk of losing their jobs, including the entire first-year class of the Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) - a renowned applied epidemiology training program. EIS officers, also known as CDC's 'disease detectives,' have played crucial roles in combating public health threats both domestically and internationally for decades.
According to health news organization STAT, the Department of Health and Human Services is set to implement around 5,200 job cuts, with exemptions being made at the NIH for employees involved in patient care. Notably, two longstanding leaders at the NIH recently announced their retirement from government service.
One significant departure at the CDC is Dr. Nirav Shah, the acting principal deputy director, who informed CDC staff of his impending departure on February 28. These workforce reductions come at a time when public health agencies are actively engaged in responding to ongoing health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
