At the CDC’s Building 21 in Atlanta, employees live in fear, avoiding Zoom meetings due to concerns about surveillance and holding sensitive discussions in soundproof offices. Following Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s appointment as health secretary, over 10,000 experienced staff have been terminated, leading to a chaotic environment where health priorities have been altered, research programs canceled, and funding severely restricted.
Kennedy is pushing for sweeping reforms aimed at improving public health, but many insiders argue that his methods are detrimental. Key health initiatives, such as the CDC’s childhood lead-poisoning prevention program, have been closed down, with no clear reason provided. Kennedy’s controversial approach to vaccine policy has resulted in significant firings, raising alarms among former advisers about the politicization of vaccines.
The FDA is also feeling the impact of the staff cuts, hindering food safety inspections and threatening public health. Employees express frustration over added bureaucratic layers that complicate processes rather than streamline them. Many fired employees, whose reemployment is under judicial review, have no desire to return, citing a disconnect with the administration’s values, which they view as anti-science. Overall, the atmosphere is one of uncertainty and anxiety, with grave concerns about the consequences of these changes for public health.
