At the CDC headquarters in Atlanta, employees are working in fear and secrecy following the mass firings of over 10,000 staff since Robert F. Kennedy Jr. became health secretary in February. Many workers avoid Zoom meetings and carry notebooks to protect sensitive information, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of Orwellian surveillance. Under Kennedy’s leadership, long-standing health policies and research programs have been dismantled due to perceptions of “wokeness,” leading to chaos and dysfunction within the CDC, FDA, and NIH.
Kennedy’s controversial reforms, including the overhaul of vaccine policies and the closure of crucial health initiatives, have raised concerns about public health outcomes. Critics within the agencies argue that these changes are anti-scientific and detrimental to community health, with significant programs for chronic disease prevention being shut down.
Despite Kennedy’s claims of streamlining and improving efficiency, staff have observed an increase in bureaucracy and resource scarcity. Many experts express fear for the future of public health in the U.S., with insiders lamenting the program cuts and uncertain operational frameworks. Current employees describe a pervasive anxiety and lack of direction under the Kennedy regime, prompting concerns about real-world impacts on health domestically and globally.
