NEW YORK (AP) The nation’s top public health agency’s departing chief urged the incoming government to continue supporting and focusing on protecting Americans from new health risks.
In an interview with The Associated Press on Monday, Dr. Mandy Cohen, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, stated that we must keep up our global efforts at CDC to ensure that we are halting outbreaks at their source. That financing must continue. We must maintain our level of skill. We must continue our diplomatic efforts.
After around 18 months on the job, 46-year-old Cohen will be leaving in January. On Friday night, President-elect Donald Trump announced that he has chosen former Florida Congressman Dave Weldon to be the agency’s new head.
Cohen stated that she does not know Weldon and has not met him. She had previously expressed alarm about Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the CDC critic and anti-vaccine activist who was chosen to lead the federal public health agencies.
Protecting Americans against disease outbreaks and other public health dangers is the responsibility of the CDC, which has a core budget of $9.2 billion. Sixty percent of the scientists on staff have master’s or doctoral degrees.
Possibly the most challenging period in the agency’s existence has been the past eight years. Once upon a time, the CDC’s knowledge of infectious illnesses and other causes of illness and death earned it a stellar international reputation. However, political attacks, blunders during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, and opposition to infection-prevention measures like mask use and vaccinations caused faith in the organization to decline.
Out of over 13,000 employees, the CDC has four political appointees. The others have civil service safeguards against attempts to terminate them for political purposes, regardless of who is in the White House.
Trump stated throughout the campaign that he wanted to turn many federal agency jobs into political appointments, which would allow the election winner to recruit and fire those staff members.
A proposal has also been made to divide the agency into two: one to monitor disease statistics and another to concentrate on public health with limited policymaking authority.
Additionally, a current budget proposal in Congress would result in a 22% reduction in funding for the agency. Additionally, the CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, which addresses issues including drug overdoses, drownings, suicides, and shooting deaths, would be abolished.
Cohen stated that the agency’s recent work is something to be proud of. The CDC has established collaborations to increase access to testing for various illnesses and to monitor wastewater for indications of disease outbreaks. She stated that while there are always new risks, there aren’t any brand-new, serious public health problems.
Cohen sent an email to CDC staff the day after the election on November 5th, urging them to continue.
Our objective has not altered, even though the world may feel different due to upcoming changes, she stated.
She claimed that she is not aware of any influx of CDC experts that are panicking over the election results.
She asserted that campaigning and governing are two different things. I want to approach this as though we are passing the torch.
Other than spending time with her family in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she managed the business, Cohen said she had no idea what she will do next.
The Senate will have to confirm the CDC director for the first time next year, which might create a void before Trump’s choice takes over. Dr. Debra Houry, Deputy Director of the CDC, has been tasked with assisting with the transition.
The CDC faces a number of impending threats in addition to the administration transition.
The first American case of a novel strain of mpox, initially observed in eastern Congo, was verified by officials last month.
Additionally, there is the constant flow of bird flu cases, the majority of which are minor infections contracted by farmworkers who have come into close contact with infected chicks or cows. There is no proof that it has been spreading among people, according to CDC authorities, who maintain that the risk to the general population is still minimal.
We’re not yet at a turning point, in my opinion. Does that imply, however, that things won’t change tomorrow? Yes, she said, it could.
___
The Science and Educational Media Group of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute provides support to the Associated Press Health and Science Department. All content is entirely the AP’s responsibility.
The Associated Press, 2024. All rights reserved. All rights reserved. It is prohibited to publish, broadcast, rewrite, or redistribute this content without authorization.
Note: Every piece of content is rigorously reviewed by our team of experienced writers and editors to ensure its accuracy. Our writers use credible sources and adhere to strict fact-checking protocols to verify all claims and data before publication. If an error is identified, we promptly correct it and strive for transparency in all updates, feel free to reach out to us via email. We appreciate your trust and support!