As if the pandemic-era fatigue wasn’t enough, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is now facing a bureaucratic implosion. Hundreds of staff have been fired, rehired, and fired again — some multiple times — amid a government shutdown and a tangle of lawsuits. The agency that once led the world in disease control has been thrown into confusion and paralysis.
Here’s what’s going on.
The big picture
A “reduction in force” (RIF) — government-speak for layoffs — has slashed a quarter of the CDC’s workforce this year. Employees have been laid off, reinstated by court order, and then laid off again. The cycle has left essential departments unmanned, federal health programmes stranded, and employees in what one worker called a “Squid Game” of survival.
Among those axed were entire offices responsible for chronic disease prevention, smoking and health, suicide prevention, and maternal health monitoring. Even the CDC’s ethics office and institutional review board — required by law to oversee research protocols — were wiped out.
Experts warn that the chaos is crippling America’s public health infrastructure. Billions in grants to states and local agencies have been frozen or clawed back, leaving crucial services — from nutrition surveys to immunisation tracking — in limbo.
Driving the news
On 10 October, layoff notices were sent to around 1,300 CDC employees. Some had just returned from unpaid furlough during the shutdown. Others were covered by court injunctions that should have protected them. In a stunning twist, the entire CDC human resources department was recalled from furlough to process the terminations — and then dismissed themselves.
Earlier court rulings had already found parts of these layoffs illegal. Yet the administration pressed on, blaming some of the terminations on a “coding error” that allegedly affected about 700 employees. Unions like the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) have sued, calling the firings unlawful and politically motivated.
Why it matters
The CDC is not merely a bureaucracy; it’s the backbone of US disease surveillance, vaccination policy, and outbreak response. Its research teams maintain systems that track maternal deaths, smoking rates, nutrition data, and chronic diseases — information that guides national policy and global health decisions.
With these units dismantled or leaderless, experts say the agency cannot fulfil its basic mandates. As former CDC chief medical officer John Brooks put it, “Congress no longer has a means of direct access to the agency it funds when it needs information or briefings.”
The consequences extend far beyond Washington. Local health departments depend on CDC grants and data systems to respond to emergencies — from opioid overdoses to flu outbreaks. Losing that coordination, former officials warn, could endanger millions.
The human toll
Behind the numbers are exhausted employees caught in a bureaucratic nightmare.
Aryn Melton Backus, a public health specialist, has been terminated and reinstated three times this year. She remains on administrative leave, unable to work, describing herself as “stuck in limbo”.
Many others have faced harassment and threats. In August, a gunman attacked the CDC headquarters, killing an officer and traumatising staff.
Some were “doxed” — their personal details leaked online — after appearing on “DEI watchlists” circulated by right-wing activists.
Even the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) — the CDC’s flagship scientific journal — was briefly gutted before being reinstated. Its former editor, Charlotte Kent, called the cuts “shocking”, noting that MMWR had just been included in the president’s budget request for the first time.
The bottom line
The crisis at the CDC is more than an HR debacle — it’s a collapse of trust in the nation’s health apparatus. Lawsuits are mounting, funding pipelines are frozen, and public health experts warn that years of institutional knowledge are being erased.
As Abigail Tighe of the National Public Health Coalition summed it up: “This isn’t a coding error. It’s an intentional attack on the American people and their health.”
For now, the agency once seen as America’s first line of defence against disease is paralysed — fighting not viruses, but its own disintegration.
Here’s what’s going on.
The big picture
A “reduction in force” (RIF) — government-speak for layoffs — has slashed a quarter of the CDC’s workforce this year. Employees have been laid off, reinstated by court order, and then laid off again. The cycle has left essential departments unmanned, federal health programmes stranded, and employees in what one worker called a “Squid Game” of survival.
Among those axed were entire offices responsible for chronic disease prevention, smoking and health, suicide prevention, and maternal health monitoring. Even the CDC’s ethics office and institutional review board — required by law to oversee research protocols — were wiped out.
Experts warn that the chaos is crippling America’s public health infrastructure. Billions in grants to states and local agencies have been frozen or clawed back, leaving crucial services — from nutrition surveys to immunisation tracking — in limbo.
Driving the news
On 10 October, layoff notices were sent to around 1,300 CDC employees. Some had just returned from unpaid furlough during the shutdown. Others were covered by court injunctions that should have protected them. In a stunning twist, the entire CDC human resources department was recalled from furlough to process the terminations — and then dismissed themselves.
Earlier court rulings had already found parts of these layoffs illegal. Yet the administration pressed on, blaming some of the terminations on a “coding error” that allegedly affected about 700 employees. Unions like the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) have sued, calling the firings unlawful and politically motivated.
Why it matters
The CDC is not merely a bureaucracy; it’s the backbone of US disease surveillance, vaccination policy, and outbreak response. Its research teams maintain systems that track maternal deaths, smoking rates, nutrition data, and chronic diseases — information that guides national policy and global health decisions.
With these units dismantled or leaderless, experts say the agency cannot fulfil its basic mandates. As former CDC chief medical officer John Brooks put it, “Congress no longer has a means of direct access to the agency it funds when it needs information or briefings.”
The consequences extend far beyond Washington. Local health departments depend on CDC grants and data systems to respond to emergencies — from opioid overdoses to flu outbreaks. Losing that coordination, former officials warn, could endanger millions.
The human toll
Behind the numbers are exhausted employees caught in a bureaucratic nightmare.
Aryn Melton Backus, a public health specialist, has been terminated and reinstated three times this year. She remains on administrative leave, unable to work, describing herself as “stuck in limbo”.
Many others have faced harassment and threats. In August, a gunman attacked the CDC headquarters, killing an officer and traumatising staff.
Some were “doxed” — their personal details leaked online — after appearing on “DEI watchlists” circulated by right-wing activists.
Even the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) — the CDC’s flagship scientific journal — was briefly gutted before being reinstated. Its former editor, Charlotte Kent, called the cuts “shocking”, noting that MMWR had just been included in the president’s budget request for the first time.
The bottom line
The crisis at the CDC is more than an HR debacle — it’s a collapse of trust in the nation’s health apparatus. Lawsuits are mounting, funding pipelines are frozen, and public health experts warn that years of institutional knowledge are being erased.
As Abigail Tighe of the National Public Health Coalition summed it up: “This isn’t a coding error. It’s an intentional attack on the American people and their health.”
For now, the agency once seen as America’s first line of defence against disease is paralysed — fighting not viruses, but its own disintegration.
You may also like
Centrist D66 clinch close win in Netherlands election, Rob Jetten to be youngest Dutch PM
George Clooney reflects on fame, family life and reuniting with Adam Sandler
Beloved member of the Royal Family crowned most popular in new poll - and it's not Kate
The 5 warmest winter sun destinations in Spain for December escapes
'If they're going to do it ... ': Trump doubles down on nuclear testing plan; underground tests on cards?
