CDC Reels After Chaotic Weekend of Layoffs, Rescissions, and Ongoing Leadership Turmoil
Atlanta, GA – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is grappling with a crisis of confidence and operational uncertainty following a weekend marked by abrupt layoff notices, subsequent job rescissions, and continued upheaval in its leadership ranks. The turmoil,occurring under the direction of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has left agency scientists reeling and raised concerns about the CDC’s ability to effectively respond to public health threats.
The chaos began Friday with layoff notices issued to an undisclosed number of CDC personnel. tho, many of those employees received emails on Saturday with the subject line “Rescission of Previous Notice of Reduction in Force,” effectively reinstating their positions just days after they were deemed redundant. One longtime CDC scientist described the experience as “the culmination of eight months of abuse,” referencing a pattern of instability that has intensified under Kennedy’s leadership.
The weekend’s events follow a series of controversial decisions by Kennedy, including the June dismissal of the CDC’s vaccine advisory board and its replacement with his allies. Further exacerbating the situation, an August shooting on the CDC’s Atlanta campus – perpetrated by an individual blaming COVID vaccines for his depression and resulting in the death of a police officer – prompted some scientists to consider personal safety measures, like purchasing bulletproof vests.
Adding to the sense of instability, three top CDC officials – Houry, Jernigan, and Demetre Daskalakis – resigned in protest following Kennedy’s push to remove the agency’s newly confirmed director, Susan Monarez.
Concerns are also mounting about the CDC’s communication channels with state health departments. An epidemiologist with a state health department, managing the alt CDC’s Bluesky feed, reported hearing that personnel normally responsible for sharing information with states during outbreaks have been eliminated. “so the only contact they have is going to HHS-is going to RFK,” the epidemiologist stated. Furthermore, a key office serving as a liaison between the CDC’s Atlanta headquarters and Capitol Hill appears to have been closed.
As of this evening, Kennedy has not publicly addressed the reversal of the layoff notices. Instead, he used his X account to congratulate President donald Trump on a new drug-pricing deal and defend controversial comments linking autism to Tylenol use after circumcision.
Acting CDC Director jim O’Neill posted photos on X friday of a bald eagle over the Capitol building with the message, “Good morning we are going to win,” but has offered no further explanation of his vision for the agency amidst the ongoing turmoil. The CDC has not yet responded to requests for comment.
