Trump Administration Orders More Cuts to CDC Budget
By I. Edwards HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, April 4, 2025 -- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has not only lost nearly a fifth of its workforce, it has also been directed to slash $2.9 billion in contract spending.
That’s about 35% of its total contract budget. The agency has been ordered to comply by April 18.
These cuts come on top of the loss of 2,400 employees, The New York Times reported.
On Tuesday, more staff were fired, including scientists who worked on environmental health, asthma, injuries, lead poisoning and climate change.
“Sure, any manager can find small savings and improvements, but these kinds of demands are of the size and speed that break down organizations,” Dr. Tom Inglesby, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security at the Bloomberg School of Public Health, told The Times.
“This is not the way to do good for the public or for the public’s health,” he added.
The CDC’s largest contract -- about $7 billion a year -- is for the Vaccines for Children Program, which provides vaccines for families who can’t afford them.
That program is required by law and will not be affected, officials said.
But other contracts that pay for computer systems, security, cleaning and research projects could be cut. Some contracts also support COVID-related work, which may also be at risk.
Last week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) also stopped .4 billion in CDC grants to states that were using the money for tracking diseases, mental health and addiction treatment.
Some contracts may not move forward at all because the people in charge of them have already been let go.
The administration also told the CDC to cut grants to Columbia University and the University of Pennsylvania due to concerns about how the schools handled antisemitism on campus.
“Funding grants and contracts are the mechanism by which we get things done,” one CDC scientist who asked to remain anonymous because of a fear of retaliation, told The New York Times.
“They are cutting off our arms and legs.”
Sources
- The New York Times, April 2, 2025
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted April 2025
Read this next
Biden’s Prostate Cancer Likely Grew Undetected for Years, Experts Say
FRIDAY, May 23, 2025 — Former President Joe Biden's prostate cancer diagnosis has drawn attention to screening guidelines for older men. When Biden, 82, was diagnosed...
White House Report Blames Toxins, Food and Screens for Poor Health
FRIDAY, May 23, 2025 — A new White House report says today’s children are the sickest generation in U.S. history when it comes to chronic disease, and it puts the...
Family Link For Postpartum Psychosis Discovered
FRIDAY, May 23, 2025 — Women are 10 times more likely to develop postpartum psychosis if they have a sister who experienced the condition after an earlier pregnancy, a new...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.