South Carolina State Rep. Rosalyn Henderson-Myers (D-Spartanburg) stands exterior a cellular clinic providing free measles vaccinations on Friday in Spartanburg, S.C. The Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention hasn’t issued a well being alert associated to the measles outbreak there.
Sean Rayford/Getty Photographs
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Sean Rayford/Getty Photographs
The Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention has been alerting the nation about well being threats a lot much less often since President Trump returned to workplace, elevating issues amongst docs and public well being authorities.
The CDC issued simply six alerts from the company’s Well being Alert Community in 2025. The variety of these HANs, because the alerts are recognized, varies from 12 months to 12 months. However the company usually points many extra – typically dozens.
“We’re completely flying blind,” says Dr. Georges Benjamingovt director of the American Public Well being Affiliation. “We’re blind to an entire vary of well being dangers which are getting into our group or re-emerging in our group.”
The drop in alerts leaves docs, hospitals and well being departments much less ready and extra weak to getting blindsided, Benjamin and others say.
“HANs are a extremely necessary instrument,” says Lauren Saueraffiliate director of the International Middle for Well being Safety on the College of Nebraska. “They inform clinicians: This is what you might want to take into consideration as you are screening sufferers, or illnesses that you just may not expect to see, strolling by way of your emergency division. Clinicians want instruments like that to say, ‘Take note of this particular factor proper now.’ “
Previous alerts have sounded the alarm about all kinds of threats, together with Ebola, fowl flu and the coronavirus pandemic.
“It is our early-warning system,” Benjamin says. “It is the weatherman of public well being. It offers us huge situational consciousness.”
Past alerting docs, nurses and different medical suppliers, the advisories additionally spur hospitals to top off on the precise medicines and provides and ensure they’re adequately staffed. The alerts additionally prime well being departments to be looking out for uncommon illness clusters.
“It is one other pillar of preparedness and response,” says Dr. Nahid Bhadeliawho runs Boston College’s Middle on Rising Ailments.
The CDC did not situation a HAN about this season’s fluregardless that a mutated pressure emerged to drive what appears to be like like one of many worst in years. The company hasn’t despatched a HAN about measles since March regardless that the present outbreak in South Carolina is without doubt one of the worst in many years and the nation could also be on the verge of dropping its measles elimination standing. CDC by no means issued a HAN about latest outbreaks of whooping cough.
“The silence is deafening,” Benjamin says.
Critics like Benjamin say the trickle of HANs is indicative of the muzzling of the CDC. The company has additionally been publishing fewer experiences in its flagship publication the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, canceled a marketing campaign to encourage flu vaccinationpaused updating essential databases and infrequently briefs reporters.
“Sadly, I feel that is very emblematic of a decline within the communications, each within the quantity in addition to the standard,” says Dr. Debra Hourywho resigned because the CDC’s chief medical officer in August due to the Trump administration’s insurance policies.
She says the company has been hollowed out by mass firings and is now managed by political appointees as an alternative of scientists.
The CDC didn’t reply to NPR’s questions concerning the variety of HANs. In an e mail to NPR, Andrew Nixon, a spokesman on the Well being and Human Companies Division, which oversees CDC, known as claims the company had pulled again “false.”
“CDC continues to alert the general public about pressing public well being incidents and works intently with federal, state, territorial, tribal and native companions to develop response protocols and keep robust stakeholder relationships,” Nixon wrote.
Nonetheless, exterior organizations are attempting to fill the void.
“One of many silver linings is that there are different fashions being tried. For instance, we’re seeing lots of regional consortia the place states are getting collectively to see what they will do for public well being,” says Caitlin Riversan epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins College who has began a publication known as FOI Scientific. “There’s an urge for food for extra related and extra higher-volume communication.”
