The Consequences of Silencing the 'Voice of CDC

This Perspective expresses grave concern over a federal order issued in January 2025 by the Trump administration that temporarily halted public communication from agencies like the CDC, FDA, and NIH including suspension of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). Known as the “voice of the CDC,” MMWR plays a vital role in timely dissemination of public health data. The pause led to missing or truncated publications, despite the availability of critical updates (e.g., on H5N1 influenza). The authors former editors-in-chief of MMWR and a former CDC division director warn that this disruption undermines decades of scientific independence, rapid outbreak reporting, and trusted health messaging. They stress that past MMWR publications have had lifesaving impacts, such as identifying early HIV cases and responding to anthrax, E. coli, and vaping-associated illness. The piece calls for preserving the editorial autonomy of the CDC and safeguarding evidence-based health communication from politicization, especially amid ongoing global threats like zoonotic influenza, tuberculosis, and Ebola

This Perspective expresses grave concern over a federal order issued in January 2025 by the Trump administration that temporarily halted public communication from agencies like the CDC, FDA, and NIH including suspension of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). Known as the “voice of the CDC,” MMWR plays a vital role in timely dissemination of public health data. The pause led to missing or truncated publications, despite the availability of critical updates (e.g., on H5N1 influenza). The authors former editors-in-chief of MMWR and a former CDC division director warn that this disruption undermines decades of scientific independence, rapid outbreak reporting, and trusted health messaging. They stress that past MMWR publications have had lifesaving impacts, such as identifying early HIV cases and responding to anthrax, E. coli, and vaping-associated illness. The piece calls for preserving the editorial autonomy of the CDC and safeguarding evidence-based health communication from politicization, especially amid ongoing global threats like zoonotic influenza, tuberculosis, and Ebola