At the CDC’s Building 21 in Atlanta, employees are adopting low-profile strategies amid fears of surveillance and job instability following Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s appointment as health secretary. Over 10,000 experienced staff have been fired, leading to a chaotic environment where health priorities have shifted, and key research programs have been canceled for being perceived as “woke.” Staff express concerns about the dismantling of health infrastructure and fear for public health, particularly regarding vaccine policies.
Kennedy has been accused of politicizing vaccine science, dismissing longstanding advisory committee members, and introducing a controversial vaccine initiative using outdated technology. Additionally, critical programs for chronic disease prevention have been shuttered. Despite claims of reforming bureaucratic inefficiencies, insiders report increased layers of bureaucracy hindering operations and causing shortages in essential resources.
While Kennedy’s supporters argue for necessary change, many current and former employees describe a deteriorating health system that poses risks to public safety and reflects antithetical values to science. Workers, disillusioned and anxious, question the health department’s future stability and integrity under the new regime.
