Overview
- White House and HHS are expected to name Jay Bhattacharya acting CDC director, with reports indicating he would retain his NIH role simultaneously.
- CDC leadership has churned since Susan Monarez was fired, an interim successor was later ousted, routine data have been delayed, and health alerts have sharply declined.
- After replacing the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel, federal guidance dropped universal recommendations for seven childhood shots, despite Kennedy’s pledges to keep the schedule intact.
- HHS pulled back $11 billion in covid-era grants before a federal judge ordered distribution, while NIH grant cancellations and partial court-ordered reversals left roughly $1.4 billion lost and new awards down about 24% in 2025.
- Analyses report nearly 2,400 Ph.D. departures across health agencies and widespread vacancies, as states form coalitions like the West Coast Health Alliance to issue evidence-based guidance, with critics linking policy shifts to a growing measles outbreak.