The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was hit with widespread layoffs last week, leaving hundreds of workers in the dark about their employment status. But just one day later, employees received an email stating that they were not being let go after all – without explanation or apology.
The firings have sparked outrage among CDC officials, who claim there is no strategy behind the cuts. “There’s really no approach – at least any thoughtful approach” to how the agency is doing these layoffs,” said Daniel Jernigan, former director of the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases.
Many employees received layoff notices that their jobs were redundant or identical to duties being performed elsewhere in the agency. However, by Saturday, several CDC sources reported having their jobs reinstated.
The cuts seem to conflict with the administration’s stated aims, particularly when it comes to addressing conflicts of interest within the agency. The human-resources office, which handled ethics issues, has been scrapped. Experts say this move undermines the agency’s ability to monitor for conflicts of interest.
One scientist who received a layoff notice reported feeling “disoriented” and “abused” by the administration’s actions. She expressed concerns that the firings are part of a larger effort to silence the scientific voice of career CDC scientists.
The acting director, Jim O’Neill, has been silent on the matter, instead posting congratulatory messages for President Trump and defending comments made at a recent Cabinet meeting linking autism with Tylenol after circumcision. The agency’s Washington office, which serves as a conduit between the Atlanta headquarters and Capitol Hill, was also closed in the layoffs.
The firings have raised questions about the administration’s motives and whether they are truly committed to protecting public health.
Source: https://www.theatlantic.com/health/2025/10/the-cdcs-weekend-of-whiplash/684549