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Abstract: 

In just a few short weeks, the Trump administration has brought drastic changes to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and public health. Beginning with the removal of websites and key public health datasets (Cox) in January 2025, the Trump administration has taken actions to dismantle established public health infrastructure as part of its second-term agenda. In addition, the administration has begun a widespread purge of the federal public health workforce. As of Feb. 19, around 5,200 employees at the CDC and the National Institutes of Health had been let go. About 10% of the CDC’s staff have been removed, with plans for additional firings. Health professionals rely on CDC data and educational resources in their work. CDC websites are the first stop for health information for students and for health care practitioners, and are vital to protecting the U.S. from infectious diseases, like avian flu and COVID-19, as well as noninfectious health conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease. This article briefly surveys what the CDC does to protect Americans’ health, and how it’s likely to be affected by the Trump administration’s actions.

Keywords: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Staffing and Data Cuts

Affiliations:  1: Arizona State University.