More than a thousand employees at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) received notice on Friday that they were losing their jobs—a sweeping move that wiped out entire departments before portions of it were suddenly reversed over the weekend. The confusion and abrupt reversals have left many staff reeling.
Former CDC Chief Medical Officer Dr. Debra Houry described the situation as “instability and whiplash,” criticizing the apparent lack of planning. “It seems like they just took a sledgehammer to the agency versus a scalpel,” she said. “The fact they brought half back already just shows they didn’t think through what they were doing.”
A Partial Reversal, but Chaos Remains
According to administration officials, roughly 700 layoff notices were sent in error, though no public documentation has confirmed that explanation. About 600 employees remain terminated, including staff from several critical offices.
Among those initially cut and later reinstated were entire teams from the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)—the CDC’s flagship epidemiology publication—as well as personnel working in global health, suicide prevention, and the agency’s renowned “disease detective” program.
Employees at the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases were also brought back.
Still, key functions remain gutted. The CDC’s human resources department was eliminated entirely, raising serious operational concerns. “That will affect the operations of the entire agency,” Houry warned.
Communication and Oversight Gaps
The agency’s Washington, D.C., office—its main liaison to Congress—was also dissolved. “It makes it difficult to communicate with Congress,” Houry said, noting that the office handled the majority of legislative inquiries.
Also cut were employees from the institutional review board (which ensures the ethical integrity of CDC research) and the ethics office (responsible for managing conflicts of interest among senior leaders and advisory committee members).
With the institutional review board dismantled, many scientific studies could soon grind to a halt. “Some protocols are up for renewal in the next 30 days,” Houry explained. “They’ll have to be shut down.”
Core Scientific Programs Hit Hard
The National Center for Health Statistics, which manages crucial health data and national surveys, faced significant losses. Staff responsible for nutrition research, electronic health records, and the agency’s internal science office were laid off. Even the employee assistance program—which provided mental health support during crises—was cut.
“That is no longer available,” Houry said, noting the impact on staff still grieving the mass shooting two months ago that killed police officer David Rose and deeply affected the CDC community.
The cuts also reached the Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics, which was established to improve the CDC’s ability to track and communicate emerging health threats. Losing staff there, experts warn, could hinder the nation’s capacity to respond to infectious disease outbreaks.
Questions Over the “Error”
Officials have characterized the rescinded layoffs as a “coding error,” but former CDC leaders are skeptical. Houry said she believes the reinstatements likely came only after widespread backlash and public concern over the scope of the cuts.
In the past, a small number of employees had been mistakenly laid off due to misclassification after recent job transfers, but this situation appears far broader. “This isn’t a few mistaken terminations,” Houry said. “This looks like something much larger that was only walked back after people noticed.”
An Agency in Crisis
The layoffs come amid broader political tension over the CDC’s role and independence. The agency—long regarded as the world’s leading public health institution—has faced repeated criticism and budget pressures in recent years.
Experts warn that losing institutional knowledge and scientific capacity could weaken national preparedness for future crises.
“The CDC takes care of the public,” Houry said. “We need the public to take care of the CDC.”
