In Building 21 of the CDC in Atlanta, employees maintain a low profile due to fears of surveillance and job insecurity following significant upheaval since Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s appointment as health secretary. With over 10,000 staff members fired, many experienced workers feel endangered and report a breakdown of scientific norms and priorities under Kennedy and the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge). Staff now conduct meetings in soundproof rooms and scavenge office supplies due to severe funding cuts.
Kennedy’s reshaping of health policies includes controversial vaccine initiatives, highlighted by the firing of an advisory committee’s entire membership, raising alarm about politicization and potential negative impacts on public health. Experts warn about the dismantling of critical programs aimed at chronic disease prevention and food safety oversight, which could lead to further health crises. Insiders express skepticism about the efficiency of the changes, suggesting layers of bureaucracy have actually increased despite claims to streamline operations.
As the morale declines among current employees and those seeking to return, many are disillusioned, fearing the administration’s anti-science stance will have significant consequences for public health in the U.S. and beyond.
