RFK Jr. makes savage cut to the CDC and its vaunted team of 'disease detectives' on his first day as Trump's health chief

 Robert Kennedy Jr. has significantly reduced staffing at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) as the new Secretary of Health and Human Services. This decision aligns with efforts by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk to streamline government departments.

• On his first day in office, Robert Kennedy Jr. dismissed nearly half of the CDC's Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS), a team known for investigating disease outbreaks.

• A total of approximately 1,300 CDC employees are expected to be laid off, including the entire incoming class of EIS.

• The EIS is considered crucial to global public health, raising concerns among experts about its potential destruction.

• Kennedy reassured staff that those committed to public health would have job security, stating that if they have been involved in good science, they should not worry about their positions.

• The workforce cuts are primarily focused on probationary staff, making up 45% of this group, leading to significant layoffs across various health agencies.

• Communications sent to staff indicated that their skills no longer matched the agency’s needs, with many young professionals, freshly hired after training programs, losing their positions.

• Additionally, other health agencies like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) experienced similar layoffs, with those in food safety and medical device reviews receiving termination notices.

• Kennedy has a controversial history regarding his positions on vaccinations and public health policies but has promised to study vaccines to enhance their safety.

• He expressed his belief that individuals should maintain their food choices regardless of health considerations and suggested ways to improve the nutritional value of fast food without limiting consumer options.

The actions taken by Robert Kennedy Jr. as he assumes leadership in health services reflect a drastic approach to personnel management at the CDC, raising alarms about the future of public health investigations in the U. S. His reassurances to remaining staff hint at a focus on public health, even amidst significant job cuts and controversy surrounding his previous statements on health policies. 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14403929/RFK-Jr-CDC-layoffs-trump-health-purge.html