Entire Staff In the CDC's Sexually Transmitted Disease Lab Fired
- Mona King Austin
- 20 hours ago
- 2 min read
SUMMARY: The Entire Staff In the CDC's Sexually Transmitted Disease Lab Has Been Fired
The STD lab at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — a leading player in global efforts to monitor for drug resistance in the bacteria that cause these diseases — was among the targets of major staff slashing at the CDC. All 28 full-time employees of the lab were fired.
By Mona Austin
(TSN): The recent HHS employee cuts left an entire department in the CDC vacant. The lab that performed research for sexually transmitted diseases is gone with the firing of the entire staff -- 28 full-time workers.
The lab monitored drug resistance to the bacteria that caused these diseases. Without them, a person carrying an STD won't know if they are using an antibiotic that doesn't work.
The specific reasons for these firings were not detailed publicly.
These abrupt terminations have raised concerns among public health experts about the nation's capacity to detect and respond to STD outbreaks, particularly those involving antibiotic-resistant strains.
The Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) has urged HHS to reinstate the national laboratories for hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections, emphasizing that these labs provided essential services that were beneficial globally and not available elsewhere within the department.
The mass firings have led to confusion and disruption within the CDC, with remaining staff uncertain about the future of various public health programs. Experts warn that these cuts could undermine years of scientific progress and jeopardize public safety by impairing essential functions such as disease surveillance and outbreak response.\
The termination of the 28 employees from the CDC's STD laboratory was part of a larger effort by the HHS to streamline operations and reduce spending across federal health agencies. While intended to improve efficiency, these cuts have sparked significant concern regarding the potential impact on public health infrastructure and the ability to effectively monitor and respond to disease outbreaks.
