CDC Reinstates 450 Workers After Layoffs Spark Public Health Concerns: Report

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reversed course Wednesday, reinstating approximately 450 employees previously laid off under the Trump administration’s federal workforce reduction initiative.

What Happened: The Health and Human Services Department confirmed the reinstatements affect workers from the National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and Tuberculosis Prevention, the National Center for Environmental Health, the Immediate Office of the Director and the Global Health Center, according to a Fox News report.

These positions oversee critical functions including lead poisoning prevention, toxic chemical spill response, air quality monitoring and global disease surveillance.

The layoffs were part of a massive 10,000-employee reduction across U.S. health agencies announced in April by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk to shrink federal government spending by $1.8 billion annually.

The CDC faced 2,400 job cuts under this plan, which consolidated HHS from 28 divisions to 15. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had previously eliminated the entire 17-member Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and terminated a $600 million Moderna Inc. MRNA contract for mRNA bird flu vaccine development.

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Why It Matters: Thomas Nagy of HHS notified affected employees via email that their reduction-in-force notices were revoked, instructing them to contact supervisors with questions. Sources confirmed some reinstated workers belonged to the CDC’s Lead Poisoning Prevention and Surveillance Branch, originally scheduled for transfer to the new Administration for a Healthy America division.

The reversals followed significant public health concerns and legal challenges from multiple states arguing the cuts violated constitutional mandates.

Nearly 25 states filed lawsuits claiming the restructuring dismantled essential health programs, halted infectious disease testing, and disrupted maternal health initiatives. Kennedy acknowledged that up to 20% of the layoffs were mistakes, but proceeded to preserve “political momentum.”

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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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