U.S. Health Agencies Halt External Activities Following Administrative Orders
Under HHS directives, the CDC and NIH have suspended meetings, publications, and travel, raising worries about interruptions in public health communication.
This week, U.S. health agencies, including the CDC and NIH, have canceled external meetings, paused certain public health publications, and imposed a travel freeze following directives from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
These actions follow a memo from acting HHS Secretary Dorothy Fink, which called for an immediate halt to public communications and speaking engagements until reviewed and approved by a presidential appointee, effective through February 1. The cancellations affect various regular health advisories and training sessions.
For instance, a state-federal call scheduled for Thursday, involving states impacted by H5N1 bird flu in dairy cattle and other animals, was called off.
Additionally, the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, which has been regularly published since 1960, was not released as expected.
A travel ban directive was issued in a January 21 memo to financial officers and travel officials in all HHS divisions, including the NIH, FDA, and CDC.
The travel ban is in place until further notice, mandating that any speaking engagements accepted before January 20 must be canceled.
Travel is only permitted for individuals already on official trips, who must return to their original point of departure.
Employees from the Indian Health Service are exempt from the suspension.
HHS stated that the pause applies to public communications not directly linked to emergencies or crucial for preserving health, with exceptions for mission-critical communications being made on a case-by-case basis.
These measures come amid rising concerns about the spread of H5N1 bird flu, which has infected nearly 70 people in the U.S. since April.
Most cases have been mild and occurred among farm workers.
Earlier this month, the United States reported its first bird flu-related death after an older person was exposed to a mixture of backyard chickens and wild birds.
The temporary suspension of external communications and activities by health agencies is part of the transition into the new presidential administration.
Though some health communications have been issued since the ban, such as the FDA's recent safety warning on a drug, other activities have been canceled or postponed.
Public health professionals have voiced concerns that these delays and disruptions could jeopardize public health safety, despite exceptions for critical communications being approved on a case-by-case basis.
These actions follow a memo from acting HHS Secretary Dorothy Fink, which called for an immediate halt to public communications and speaking engagements until reviewed and approved by a presidential appointee, effective through February 1. The cancellations affect various regular health advisories and training sessions.
For instance, a state-federal call scheduled for Thursday, involving states impacted by H5N1 bird flu in dairy cattle and other animals, was called off.
Additionally, the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, which has been regularly published since 1960, was not released as expected.
A travel ban directive was issued in a January 21 memo to financial officers and travel officials in all HHS divisions, including the NIH, FDA, and CDC.
The travel ban is in place until further notice, mandating that any speaking engagements accepted before January 20 must be canceled.
Travel is only permitted for individuals already on official trips, who must return to their original point of departure.
Employees from the Indian Health Service are exempt from the suspension.
HHS stated that the pause applies to public communications not directly linked to emergencies or crucial for preserving health, with exceptions for mission-critical communications being made on a case-by-case basis.
These measures come amid rising concerns about the spread of H5N1 bird flu, which has infected nearly 70 people in the U.S. since April.
Most cases have been mild and occurred among farm workers.
Earlier this month, the United States reported its first bird flu-related death after an older person was exposed to a mixture of backyard chickens and wild birds.
The temporary suspension of external communications and activities by health agencies is part of the transition into the new presidential administration.
Though some health communications have been issued since the ban, such as the FDA's recent safety warning on a drug, other activities have been canceled or postponed.
Public health professionals have voiced concerns that these delays and disruptions could jeopardize public health safety, despite exceptions for critical communications being approved on a case-by-case basis.
