1A 'If You Can Keep It': The Federal Health Firings
Apr 7, 2025
Julie Rovner, Chief Washington correspondent for KFF Health News, Angela Rasmussen, a virologist from the University of Saskatchewan, and Dan Diamond, a White House reporter for The Washington Post, delve into the recent drastic layoffs at the Department of Health and Human Services. They discuss how these job cuts could threaten public health services, drug approvals, and critical biomedical research. Tensions rise over vaccine regulations amidst ongoing health crises, creating concerns about the integrity of health policy under political influences.
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Vaccine Regulator Ousted
- Peter Marks, a key figure in U.S. vaccine development, was pushed out.
- This raises concerns about political influence over evidence-based decisions at the FDA.
Invisible Public Health
- Public health is often invisible when it's working effectively.
- Its importance becomes apparent only when problems arise due to neglect or cuts.
Research on Fatiguing Illnesses
- A CDC employee fears research on medically unexplained fatiguing illnesses will stop.
- This is due to contract non-renewals and lack of market-based solutions.