Trump administration halts health agency communications: Report

Officials on President Donald Trump's team have directed federal health agencies to pause external communications, including health advisories and scientific reports, The Washington Post reported Jan. 21, citing anonymous sources.

The directive was issued Jan. 21 and is set to last through Feb. 1, according to an internal memo from Dorothy Fink, MD, interim HHS secretary, the Post reported Jan. 22. Agencies following the pause include the FDA and the National Institutes of Health.

It applies to data updates on the CDC website, public health news releases from the National Center for Health Statistics, and the CDC's morbidity and mortality weekly report. Reports that had been scheduled included updates on the H5N1 avian influenza virus outbreak, the Post reported previously.

Exceptions could be made for notices affecting "critical health, safety, environmental, financial or national security functions," Dr. Fink wrote in the memo, according to the Post.

The Trump administration on Jan. 22 also canceled upcoming scientific meetings, including those to review grant proposals sent to the National Institutes of Health, The New York Times reported Jan. 22.

Some health officials expressed concerns over the communications pause, citing efforts by the first Trump administration to control health agencies' communications during the pandemic. One suggested the move seems to be "more about letting them catch their breath" in the transition, the Post reported.

"It's not unusual for a new administration to want to centralize communication," Richard Besser, MD, CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and former acting director of the CDC, told the Times. "It is unusual to pause all communication from an agency where one of its critical responsibilities is keeping the public informed."

Editor's note: This story was updated at 9:16 a.m. CT on Jan. 23.

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