When Michigan State University researchers anonymously surveyed Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) staffers, 99% of respondents said that federal policy changes, dramatic reductions in staff and programs, and unstable or leadership have hobbled the agency’s ability to respond to a pandemic or other public health emergency—and 95% think Americans will die as a result.
In total, 624 workers (433 still in their positions, 191 who quit) responded to the survey from February to April.
“Since the second Trump Administration took over leadership of the U.S. federal government on January 20, 2025, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has undergone significant changes and challenges, including lack of permanent leadership, elimination of programs, reductions-in-force and loss of staff, a deadly shooting, new policies, and restrictions on hiring, communication, and spending,” the authors wrote.
96% doubt that CDC can remain global leader
Of all respondents, 95% of those who quit said they did so entirely or mostly because of federal changes, and 68% of current workers have taken action to leave (eg, applied for another job).
The difficulties described by CDC workers portend a U.S. government losing its ability to protect the public’s health.
In total, 94% said their unit has been so weakened that it can no longer achieve its mission, and 96% doubt that the CDC can remain a global public health leader.
In an open-ended answer, a CDC scientist wrote,” The safety and health of the U.S. population will suffer, but it will be hard to quantify because they have compromised our ability to collect the data to demonstrate the impact of what they have done.”
A former manager said, “The anti-vaccine, anti-science stance of this Administration meant that I could no longer in good conscience continue to work there given the type of work that I did.”
The researchers concluded, “The difficulties described by CDC workers portend a U.S. government losing its ability to protect the public’s health.”