At the CDC’s Atlanta headquarters, employees are adopting a low-profile approach amid fears of surveillance and instability following significant staff layoffs after Robert F. Kennedy Jr. became health secretary. Over 10,000 experienced staff members have been fired, leading to chaos as health priorities shift and many research programs are canceled for being deemed “woke.”
Kennedy’s reforms, intended to “make America healthy again,” have generated deep concern, with insiders claiming that the structural changes threaten public health. Initiatives aimed at chronic disease prevention are being dismantled, including closures of vital programs like lead-poisoning prevention, amid severe budget constraints. Staff report shortages in essential supplies, and the process for grant approvals has become hindered by added bureaucratic layers.
Questions regarding leadership persist, with speculations about who remains in charge amid the upheaval. Many former and current employees express distrust in a system they feel has become increasingly anti-science. The atmosphere is filled with anxiety and uncertainty, leading some to contemplate leaving the agency altogether, fearing long-term repercussions for public health in America and beyond.
