President Donald Trump's administration has paused federal health agency external communications through Feb. 1, including updates on the CDC website and public health news releases from the NIH.
Here are six updates:
1. The new administration also ordered an indefinite travel pause for HHS personnel, according to a memo obtained by The Washington Post, the newspaper reported Jan. 23.
2. Meetings, including those to make decisions on NIH grants, have been postponed. An NIH study section scheduled for Jan. 23 to review grants on cancers and other chronic illnesses was canceled with no rescheduling guidance, the Post reported. Another canceled meeting was set to focus on NIH grants with dental researchers.
NIH, the world's largest public funder of biomedical research, awarded about $35 billion in fiscal year 2023, according to the Post.
William Schaffner, MD, a preventive medicine and infectious diseases professor at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, Tenn., said he was concerned about the ramifications in the U.S. and abroad. "This will slow the development of scientific research," Dr. Schaffner told the Post.
3. All purchasing at NIH, including supplies for studies, has been halted, according to four sources, CNN reported Jan. 24. One source was told that "essential requests" can be made and will be reviewed daily.
Researchers with clinical trial participants at NIH's Clinical Center could not order test tubes and other supplies key to the study and may run out of supplies within a week, one source told CNN.
4. Other canceled meetings include a CDC monthly call scheduled for Jan. 27 to provide updates on testing changes and emerging threats. The call was intended for its entire clinical laboratory community, including laboratory scientists at large health systems, the Post reported.
5. The FDA removed webpages for Project Equity, a 2021 initiative focused on ensuring diversity and inclusion in cancer drug clinical trials, NPR reported Jan. 25.
"HHS has issued a pause on mass communications and public appearances that are not directly related to emergencies or critical to preserving health," the FDA said in a statement shared with NPR. "This is a short pause to allow the new team to set up a process for review and prioritization. There are exceptions for announcements that HHS divisions believe are mission critical, but they will be made on a case-by-case basis."
6. Matthew Memoli, MD, has been tapped to serve as acting director of NIH, CNN reported Jan. 24. Dr. Memoli is a researcher within the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases focusing on respiratory viruses, including influenza.
Jay Bhattacharya, MD, PhD, who President Trump previously picked as permanent NIH director, is awaiting confirmation by the Senate.