CDC Cuts: Understaffed and Overwhelmed
Show notes
<p dir="ltr">Since January 2025, the CDC has lost nearly a third of its staff under the leadership of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. This drastic reduction in staffing has limited the CDC’s ability to respond to the spread of measles and this summer's foodborne illness outbreaks. In today’s episode, hosts Chris Dall and Dr. Michael Osterholm discuss what’s going on at the CDC and how it's impacting the agency's ability to respond to infectious diseases. They’'ll also provide an update on the measles outbreak in Pennsylvania, examine the rise of dengue virus cases in Florida, tell you what we know about a mysterious death in a Russian plague research lab and look at the latest data on COVID and other respiratory viruses– and what that means for the timing of flu shots. Plus, the latest installment of This Week in Public Health History.<br><br><strong>Links:</strong></p> <p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/26/health/cdc-staff-cuts-rfk-jr.html">‘Zombified’ C.D.C., Hobbled by Cuts, Struggles to Fulfill Scientific Mission</a> (The New York Times)</p> <p><a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/192665">Plague as a Biological Weapon: Medical and Public Health Management</a> (JAMA)</p> <p><a href="https://yourlocalepidemiologist.substack.com/p/flu-is-here-early-plus-covid-mosquitoes">Flu is here early. Plus Covid, mosquitoes, and more</a> (Your Local Epidemiologist Substack) </p> <p dir="ltr"><br>Resources for vaccine and public health advocacy:</p> <p><a href="https://www.voicesforvaccines.org/get-involved/"><strong>Voices for Vaccines</strong></a></p> <p><a href="https://familiesfightingflu.org/take-action/"><strong>Families Fighting Flu</strong></a></p> <p><a href="https://vaccinateyourfamily.org/get-involved/"><strong>Vaccinate Your Family</strong></a></p> <p><a href="https://shotatlife.org/take-action/"><strong>Shot@Life</strong></a></p> <p><a href="https://aspr.hhs.gov/MRC/Pages/index.aspx"><strong>Medical Reserve Corps</strong></a></p> <p>Learn more about the <a href="https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/vaccine-integrity-project"><strong>Vaccine Integrity Project</strong></a></p> <p><a href="https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/osterholm-update-covid-19"><strong>MORE EPISODES</strong></a> </p> <p><a href="https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/support-cidrap"><strong>SUPPORT THIS PODCAST</strong></a></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Music:</strong></p> <p>"Beauty Flow" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)<br>Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License</p>