Trump administration orders ‘immediate pause’ in US health agency reports | News about Donald Trump
Critics fear the move could impede the flow of health information, although others say it is a normal part of the government’s transition process.
The administration of United States President Donald Trump has called on federal health agencies to temporarily halt their external communications, including public reports of public health incidents.
The Associated Press obtained a copy of the administration’s memo Wednesday, a day after it was sent to federal health workers announcing a “temporary pause.”
In a memo, Health and Human Services (HHS) acting secretary Dorothy Fink told staff that some exceptions would be made for “critical health, safety, environmental, financial or security functions” — but only after review.
The hiatus affects regulations, press releases, social media posts, website changes and public health guidelines. This includes publications such as the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and other data publications.
Such materials can only be published after the approval of the Trump person. The break should last until February 1.
Critics fear the break could be used to stifle research and other public health information that may not align with the new administration’s priorities.
They point to Trump’s first term, from 2017 to 2021, when he clashed with public health officials over the country’s response to Covid-19 pandemic.
For example, in 2020, Trump blamed the number of tests for COVID-19 for making it uncomfortable statistics.
“When you test at that scale, you’re going to find more people, you’re going to find more cases,” Trump said. “So I told my people, ‘Slow down the testing, please.'”
Several CDC leaders later testified that Trump officials at the time pressured them to change the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, although they refused. Republican leaders have denied the allegations.
Still, some experts question whether this week’s hiatus in publishing is just a byproduct of the new administration taking over the reins.
Steven Grossman, a former Health and Human Services official, told The Associated Press that other administrations have also asked for a pause in public announcements while they settle into their leadership roles.
“The executive branch is a hierarchy,” said Grossman, who now consults with food and pharmaceutical companies.
“Whether it’s publicly stated or not, every new administration wants important responsibilities and positions to wait until new teams are in place and some semblance of hierarchy is re-established.”
Fink, an endocrinologist, is currently leading the Department of Health and Human Services on an interim basis while the U.S. Senate considers whether to confirm Trump’s pick to lead the department, Robert F. Kennedy Jrhighlight vaccine skeptic.
In addition, Trump withdrew the US from the World Health Organization on Monday, the first day of his second term, accusing the group of “mishandling” the COVID-19 pandemic.
Critics, however, warned that the move would hamper the US’s ability to prepare for the next pandemic and hamper cross-border cooperation.
