Every four to eight years, career scientists within the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) see priorities and initiatives change as new presidential administrations take office. This is an expected and normal process that the agency is well equipped to handle. Yet the events that have unfolded at the agency this year are unprecedented, former CDC officials say.
Three former CDC leaders say that the transition to the second Trump administration ushered chaos and disorganization at the agency, and that this destabilization ultimately endangers public health. What's more, the new administration's appointees have shown a profound "disregard" for their scientists' expertise, they said during a webinar hosted by the Association of Health Care Journalists Wednesday (Nov. 19).
