The Growing Threat of Infectious Diseases in America
Americans are facing a perfect storm of infectious-disease outbreaks, and the situation is growing more alarming by the day. The country is experiencing its worst flu season in 15 years, while a serious measles outbreak is spreading in Texas. To make matters worse, the threat of bird flu persists, refuses to go away. Epidemiologist Denis Nash at the CUNY School of Public Health described the situation bluntly: “The house is on fire.” The more the U.S. is hit by these diseases, the higher the risk of widespread outbreaks and even another pandemic. The timing couldn’t be worse, as the federal government’s ability to respond to these threats is being weakened.
The Federal Government’s Diminished Capacity to Respond
As of this week, the federal government appears less equipped to handle these growing health threats. Elon Musk’s efforts to shrink the federal workforce have taken a toll on key public-health agencies, including the CDC, NIH, and FDA. While the Trump administration has not released detailed information about the layoffs, reports suggest that the cuts are significant. The CDC alone has lost an estimated 700 employees, and more than 1,000 NIH staffers have reportedly been let go. These layoffs are not just numbers on a spreadsheet—they represent a reduction in the nation’s ability to detect, investigate, and respond to infectious-disease outbreaks.
The Mystery of the EIS Layoffs
One of the most intriguing aspects of the layoffs is who was spared—and why. The Trump administration initially seemed poised to target the CDC’s Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS), a critically important program that trains and deploys doctors, scientists, nurses, and even veterinarians to investigate and respond to disease outbreaks around the world. EIS officers have played a key role in combating some of the most dangerous pathogens in history, including anthrax, Ebola, smallpox, polio, E. coli, and bird flu. Four recent CDC directors have been part of the program, underscoring its importance.
Despite initial fears, EIS fellows were not among those laid off last Friday. The exact reason for this reprieve remains unclear. In response to backlash over the planned firings, Elon Musk took to social media to insist that the EIS program is “not canceled” and that anyone suggesting otherwise should “stop saying bullshit.” However, this does not necessarily mean that the program is safe in the long term. Both Musk’s administration and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s newly confirmed health secretary, are just getting started, and more layoffs could still be on the horizon.
The EIS Program: Public Health’s Best-Kept Secret
The EIS program is far more than just a training program for young professionals. It is the equivalent of the CIA for public health—a elite team of experts who are deployed around the world to track down and stop dangerous pathogens before they can spread. Fellows in the program engage in what is often referred to as “shoe-leather epidemiology,” going door to door or village to village to investigate the cause of an illness, much like a detective solving a crime. The work is grueling, but it is essential to preventing outbreaks from spiraling out of control.
EIS officers are often the first to sound the alarm about a potential threat. For example, an EIS officer investigated and recorded the first COVID-19 case in the United States back in January 2020, before the virus was widely known. Similarly, EIS officers were on the ground in Washington state last October when the first human cases of bird flu were reported. Their work is critical to understanding and containing outbreaks, and their absence would leave a gaping hole in the nation’s ability to respond to public-health crises.
The Broader Implications of the Layoffs
The layoffs extend far beyond the EIS program, and the impact on the nation’s public-health infrastructure could be devastating. Two other training programs with missions similar to that of the EIS were also affected by the cuts, according to a CDC employee who spoke on condition of anonymity. Additionally, the DOGE website claims to have saved nearly $4 million by cutting funding for the National Immunization Surveys, a key tool for tracking vaccination rates across the country. The long-term consequences of these cuts are still unclear, but they could undermine efforts to monitor and respond to infectious diseases.
Perhaps even more concerning is the broader philosophy behind these cuts. Both Trump and Kennedy have repeatedly downplayed the seriousness of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases, suggesting that public-health officials are overstating the risks. This approach is not only misleading but also dangerous. It undermines the very programs that are essential to protecting the public from future outbreaks. The decision to spare the EIS program for now is a small mercy, but it does little to address the larger problem: the Trump administration’s apparent lack of commitment to public health.
The Uncertain Future of Public Health in America
The decision to spare the EIS program, at least for now, only adds to the confusion surrounding the Trump administration’s approach to public health. On paper, the program might seem like a relatively inconsequential training program, but in reality, it is a vital part of the nation’s defense against infectious diseases. EIS fellows are the first responders who hit the ground long before most people even know there’s a potential problem. They are the ones who figure out what went wrong when an outbreak occurs, and their work is essential to preventing future crises.
If the Trump administration continues to undermine the nation’s public-health infrastructure, the consequences could be catastrophic. The layoffs, combined with a broader philosophy that downplays the risks of infectious diseases, leave the country vulnerable to outbreaks that could spread unchecked. The EIS program is just one piece of the puzzle, but its survival is a barometer of how seriously the Trump administration takes the task of protecting public health. For now, the future of the EIS—and the nation’s ability to respond to infectious diseases—remains uncertain.