At the CDC’s Building 21, a climate of fear and paranoia has emerged among staff following mass firings initiated by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK Jr.), where over 10,000 employees have been dismissed. To avoid surveillance from officials of the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), employees skip Zoom meetings and hold sensitive discussions in soundproof offices. Insiders report an oppressive atmosphere where experts are dismantled, scientific norms disrupted, and key research programs, particularly those addressing chronic diseases, shut down.
Kennedy’s controversial reforms, including the firing of the entire advisory committee on immunization practices, are seen as politicizing vaccine science and threatening public health. Many former employees warn that Kennedy’s leadership model prioritizes efficiency at the expense of vital health programs, exemplified by the shutdown of the childhood lead-poisoning prevention program and the Prevention Research Centres. As funding shrinks and bureaucratic hurdles increase, remaining staff express deep concern over the implications for both public health and their own well-being, feeling increasingly disconnected from established scientific practices. The current chaos raises questions about true leadership and direction within America’s health agencies.
