Trump Administration Halts CDC, FDA, NIH Communications Until February 1 Amid Bird Flu Concerns

Jan 22, 2025, 05:51 PM

The Trump administration has instructed federal health agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to pause all external communications until February 1. This directive, issued by acting Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Dorothy Fink, includes a halt on health advisories, weekly scientific reports, updates to websites, and social media posts. The pause is intended to allow the new administration to review and approve communications. Exceptions may be made for communications deemed critical to health, safety, or national security, but these will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. This move has raised concerns about potential delays in sharing time-sensitive information, such as updates on the ongoing H5N1 bird flu outbreak.