The Trump administration has frozen many of the federal health agency’s communications with the public until at least the end of the month.
In a memo obtained by The Associated Press, acting U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Dorothy Fink told agency staff leaders Tuesday that an “immediate pause” had been ordered, among other things, on regulations, guidelines, announcements and press releases. , social media posts and websites until such communications have been approved by a political appointee.
The pause also applies to anything intended for publication in the Federal Register, where the executive branch communicates rules and regulations, as well as in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, a scientific publication of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
The pause is in effect until Feb. 1, the memo said. Agencies subject to the HHS directive include the CDC, the National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration – entities that fight disease outbreaks, protect the nation’s food supply and research cures for diseases.
HHS officials did not respond to requests for comment on the pause, which was first reported by The Washington Post. Four federal health officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter, confirmed the communications break to the AP.
A former HHS official said Wednesday that it’s not unusual for new administrations to suspend agency communications for review. But generally, officials working within the president’s transition team ensure that the document issuance process goes smoothly on Inauguration Day.
“The executive branch is a hierarchy,” Steven Grossman, who now consults for food and drug companies, said in an email. “Whether publicly stated or not, every new administration wants important appointments and positions to wait until new teams are in place and some semblance of hierarchy is restored. »
During his first term, political appointees of President Donald Trump tried to take control against the CDC’s MMWR, which published information about the COVID-19 pandemic that contradicted messages from the White House.
A consumer advocacy group said the communications pause could threaten public safety.
Americans depend on timely information from the CDC, FDA and other agencies to avoid foodborne illness and stay informed about other health issues, said Dr. Peter Lurie, president of the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
“When it comes to stopping outbreaks, every second counts,” Lurie said in a statement. “Confusion around the vaguely worded silence order is likely to result in unnecessary delays in issuing urgent public alerts during active outbreaks.”
Fink wrote in his memo that some exceptions would be made for communications affecting “critical health, safety, environmental, financial or national security functions” but that these would be subject to review. The FDA issued notices Tuesday and Wednesday regarding warning letters sent to businesses and a drug safety notice.
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AP Health Writer Matthew Perrone in Washington contributed to this report.
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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Education Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.