Internal communications from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveal ongoing challenges within the agency. Despite easing restrictions on external communications, new protocols imposed by political appointees from the Trump Administration remain in effect, causing concern among employees regarding potential job cuts.
A senior CDC official, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated, “The administration is controlling what topics may be covered and which may not.” This response emphasizes the current unease within the agency as it navigates this new landscape.
Guidance on permissible communications is largely communicated verbally, rather than in writing, causing confusion among staff. The Department of Health and Human Services continues to closely monitor CDC outputs, restricting career scientists from publishing their findings freely.
An internal memo reviewed by officials asserts that all mass communications must comply with Executive Orders. The document advises staff to request approval when in doubt, emphasizing the ongoing constraints on public health discourse.
Specific areas where communication is permitted include urgent public health advisories, regulatory communications, and day-to-day grant business, although uncertainties remain regarding the fate of scientific research.
Researchers submitting manuscripts are instructed to withdraw them if they conflict with executive orders, particularly on gender issues. If not all authors are federal employees, CDC authors are advised to withdraw their names from publications.
Some staff members were informed during a recent call that these restrictions apply broadly, encompassing all research submissions. This limitation extends to various health topics, including infectious diseases, maternal health, and environmental factors.
Dr. Anne Schuchat, a former deputy director of the CDC, expressed concern, stating, “It’s discouraging and potentially chilling that articles that had made it through the peer review process needed to be pulled back.” The integrity of CDC’s scientific communication is crucial for public health, and such delays raise significant concerns.
Concerns mount over the state of public health communication under new directives from the Trump administration, following previous disruptions in the CDC’s publication of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Although the journal resumed publication last week after a two-week delay, several studies remain on hold.
Dr. Alfredo Morabia, editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Public Health, has voiced opposition to these directives, asserting that the integrity of published studies must be maintained without alterations imposed by political pressures.
Dr. Michael Iademarco, former director of the CDC’s Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services, raised alarms about the new layers of review potentially leading to the suppression of valid scientific data. “I’m concerned that this could obscure critical public health information,” he remarked.
