CDC Hit With Significant Staff Cuts, Including Disease Detectives and Data Analysts
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention underwent substantial staff reductions late yesterday, impacting key divisions responsible for disease surveillance, outbreak response, and policy development.
The layoffs, delivered via email shortly after 9 p.m. on October 10, 2025, targeted personnel within the Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) – the agency’s “disease detective” program – as well as offices focused on data analysis and immunization. At least 30 staff coordinating the EIS program and 40 EIS officers in their second year of training were affected, according to agency sources. More than 130 employees were laid off from the office of the director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. These cuts come as the United States prepares for the peak of winter respiratory virus season, a period when public health resources are typically in high demand.
Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, who recently resigned as director of the NCIRD, described the situation as devastating, stating, “The damage is beyond repair.” He further warned that “Crippling CDC, even as a ploy to create political pressure to end the government shut down, means America is even less prepared for outbreaks and infectious disease security threats.” An agency official, speaking anonymously for fear of job loss, alleged the cuts were motivated by disagreements over data and policy, saying, “The administration did not like that CDC data did not support their narrative, so they got rid of them. They didn’t like that CDC policy groups would not rubber stamp their unscientific ideas, so they got rid of them.” The CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, a vital source of public health data for over a century, also saw its entire staff terminated.
The full extent of the staff reductions is still being assessed, but officials indicate the cuts will significantly hamper the CDC’s ability to respond to emerging health threats and maintain crucial surveillance programs. The CDC has not yet released an official statement regarding the layoffs, but is expected to address the situation in the coming days. For more information on the CDC’s mission and work, visit the CDC website.
