Multiple federal health agencies have ceased releasing some important health information, including updates on certain outbreak investigations, due to a department-wide communications “pause” ordered by the Trump administration. However, many other critical updates are still being released.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) implemented a pause on mass communications and public appearances that aren’t directly related to emergencies or essential health matters, Stefanie Spear, HHS’s principal deputy chief of staff, explained in an email. “This is a short pause to allow the new team to set up a process for review and prioritization,” she added.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a part of HHS, typically releases updates on investigations into foodborne outbreaks every Wednesday. However, no such updates were issued this week. The last update from the FDA, on January 15, mentioned ongoing investigations into multiple outbreaks of E. coli and Listeria.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) influential scientific publication, the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, has also been delayed. For decades, this report has been published almost every Thursday, providing updates on disease outbreaks, health threat studies, and agency guidance. No issue was released last Thursday.
Weekly updates on flu and COVID-19 vaccination rates, published by the CDC, have also been disrupted. These updates are important for local health departments and nonprofits to monitor vaccination progress and target outreach efforts in communities with lower immunization rates.
A memo dated January 21 revealed that acting HHS Secretary Dr. Dorothy Fink instructed health agencies to halt all new policies, communications, and public appearances until February 1 unless cleared by officials from the new administration.
Spear noted that there are exceptions for “mission-critical” communications, which will be handled on a case-by-case basis.
Despite the pause, the CDC released its weekly tally of certain infectious diseases, including tracking cases of whooping cough, which has surged recently.
Updated data on emergency room visits due to respiratory diseases were also released on Friday. These statistics help local health officials and healthcare systems track flu and COVID-19 cases during winter surges.
Some of the CDC’s ongoing collaborations remain unaffected. For instance, a spokesperson from Alabama’s health department confirmed that the CDC is still involved in investigating unusual side effects linked to an antibiotic injection in the state.
FDA
Public health labs have also not been significantly impacted by the communications pause, according to a lab official outside the federal government. However, some webinars and calls were canceled as a result.
The CDC also issued an update to its travel notice regarding Tanzania, following the World Health Organization’s announcement of a Marburg virus outbreak in the country.
The FDA continued to issue notices about product recalls. This week, it posted a safety warning regarding an allergic reaction linked to a multiple sclerosis medication.
While some former and current health officials noted that communication slowdowns are common during transitions between administrations, they also pointed out that the extent and duration of this particular pause were unusual.
The pause caused confusion among staff as health agencies attempted to halt or retract communications, meetings, and events to comply with the directive.
At the National Institutes of Health, meetings to review grant applications were abruptly canceled. Additionally, experts who had been scheduled to participate in outside events or conferences were either called back unexpectedly or took part without making public comments, according to one researcher.
An upcoming meeting organized by the Presidential Advisory Council for Combating Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria, scheduled for next week, was also canceled. The meeting was to bring together health officials from various countries to discuss strategies for addressing superbugs.
Another meeting, scheduled by the CDC for January 27 with testing laboratories, was canceled. These monthly calls are typically used to address questions about guidance and ongoing outbreaks, such as the recent changes in testing procedures in response to the bird flu outbreak.
The communications pause is expected to end when Senate hearings for Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Trump’s controversial nominee to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, conclude next week.
It remains unclear whether Kennedy, a former Democrat who has faced widespread criticism for his anti-vaccine stance, will garner enough support to be confirmed in the closely divided Senate.
