At the CDC’s Atlanta headquarters, employees operate under a climate of fear, avoiding Zoom meetings due to concerns of being recorded and holding sensitive discussions in soundproof rooms to evade scrutiny from officials at the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge). The atmosphere reflects a culture where employees feel constantly watched, especially following the mass termination of over 10,000 staff since Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s appointment as health secretary in February. Many insiders describe an environment marked by chaos, dysfunction, and concerns over the potential harm to public health, with long-standing research programs being dismantled and funding drastically cut.
Kennedy’s vision to “make America healthy again” is seen by critics as a step backwards, particularly in vaccine policies and funding for chronic disease prevention initiatives. His recent firings of the advisory committee on immunization practices and a historic childhood lead-poisoning prevention program have raised alarms about the politicization of science and potential public health risks. Staff report inadequate resources, with some scavenging supplies from sacked colleagues’ desks and experiencing delays in operations due to a new layer of bureaucratic processes.
Amidst these changes, many existing employees express a lack of confidence in the administration, describing the push for efficiency as a facade masking harmful program cuts. With ongoing judicial reviews of the terminations and no clear vision for the future, the morale within the CDC remains low, creating anxiety about the implications for public health both in the U.S. and abroad.
