Following a department-wide communication “pause” ordered by the Trump administration, multiple federal health agencies stopped releasing some critical health information, including updates on some outbreak investigations, but others Many “mission-critical” updates are still being made public, CBS News reported. I learned.
The Department of Health and Human Services has “suspended all mass communications and public appearances that are not directly related to the emergency or essential to maintaining health,” HHS Deputy Chief of Staff Stephanie Speer said in an email to CBS News. He spoke at “This is a short pause to allow the new team to set up processes for review and prioritization.”
The Food and Drug Administration, a federal agency of HHS, typically releases updates on investigations of outbreaks related to infectious diseases. contaminated food every Wednesday, but the agency did not announce them this week. As of the FDA’s last update on January 15, the agency was investigating multiple outbreaks of E. coli and Listeria.
Publication of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s prestigious scientific publication, the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, has also been delayed, health officials said. For decades, articles detailing agency guidance, disease outbreak investigation updates, and research on health threats have been published virtually every Thursday. However, no issues were issued last Thursday.
The CDC’s weekly updates on influenza and coronavirus vaccination rates have also been suspended, according to the CDC’s website. Local health departments and nonprofit organizations use these numbers to track vaccination coverage and target support to communities where vaccination rates are lagging.
A Jan. 21 memo from Acting Secretary of Health and Human Services Dr. Dorsey Fink, obtained by CBS News, directed health officials to ensure all new policies, communications and speaking engagements with new administration officials “consistent with precedent.” ordered it to be halted until agreement was obtained. February 1st.
Politico first reported the directive on Tuesday.
Spear said there will be “exceptions” for “mission-critical” announcements, which will be made “on a case-by-case basis.”
The CDC also released a weekly tally on Thursday of specific infections reported to the agency by health departments, including tracking germs such as: whooping cough We’ve seen record waves in recent months.
Latest data on trends in emergency room visits for respiratory illnesses was also updated on Friday. Local governments and health systems use data to track influenza The number of new coronavirus infections increases rapidly every winter.
At least some of the CDC’s efforts with outsiders are still underway. A spokesperson for the Alabama Department of Health said Thursday that the CDC remains involved in investigating unusual side effects related to antibiotic shots used in the state.
Public health laboratories have so far not been affected by the suspension, although some webinars and conference calls have been canceled, according to lab officials outside the federal government.
An update to the CDC’s travel advisory for Tanzania was also released Thursday after the World Health Organization announced that an outbreak of Marburg virus disease has been confirmed in the country.
The FDA still issues recall notices. The FDA also posted a safety notice this week warning about allergic reactions related to multiple sclerosis drugs.
Multiple current and former health officials said communication slowed down during each recent administration as incoming officials tried to juggle information and guidance coming from across federal health agencies. said.
However, some said the length and scope of the slowdowns were unusual and caused confusion among staff as health agencies sought to halt or reverse communications, meetings, and events to comply with the directive.
At the National Institutes of Health, meetings scheduled to review grant applications were abruptly canceled, and institutional experts attending outside events and conferences were unexpectedly recalled or had no comment. said one researcher.
A meeting of the President’s Advisory Committee to Combat Antibiotic Resistance scheduled for next week has also been canceled, according to an email obtained by CBS News. At the meeting, health officials from several countries were scheduled to discuss strategies for responding to superbugs.
Another monthly meeting the CDC had scheduled for Jan. 27 with laboratories was also canceled. The CDC relies on monthly calls for guidance from laboratories and to answer questions about ongoing outbreaks, including recent changes to testing procedures in response to last year’s unprecedented avian influenza outbreak.
The end of the communications “pause” will coincide with the end of Senate hearings next week for President Trump’s controversial nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
It is unclear whether Kennedy, a former Democrat who has been widely criticized for his anti-vaccine comments and activities, will have the support to be confirmed in the closely divided Senate.
