In Building 21, CDC employees operate under intense scrutiny since the appointment of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as health secretary, resulting in over 10,000 staff dismissals. Many employees avoid Zoom meetings and prefer handwritten notes to evade monitoring by officials from the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge). Staff report a sense of constant surveillance and disruptions affecting their work environment.
Kennedy’s tenure has led to major reforms that critics argue are dismantling decades of scientific progress, including the abrupt firing of the advisory committee on immunization practices. His anti-science approach to vaccine policies has sparked fears that public health will suffer, particularly with changes made without scientific input. Essential programs, like lead-poisoning prevention, have been closed, leaving critical health issues unaddressed.
Despite claims of streamlining and efficiency, staff describe added bureaucracy and resource shortages that impair daily operations, such as food safety inspections at the FDA. The confusion over leadership roles raises questions about the administration’s direction and effectiveness.
Overall, many current and former employees express deep concern about the implications of these changes on public health and their personal values, with a pervasive feeling of anxiety about the future.
