The Trump administration initiated mass layoffs on Tuesday, dismissing 10,000 staffers from U.S. health agencies. The layoffs impact multiple agencies under the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), including the FDA, CDC, and the National Institutes of Health.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. characterized the cuts as necessary for reducing bureaucracy, affecting top scientists involved in public health, cancer research, and vaccine and drug regulation.
At the Food and Drug Administration, high-profile departures included Peter Stein, director of the Office of New Drugs, who resigned rather than face termination. Brian King, head of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products, was fired, as was Peter Marks, the agency’s top vaccine official.
Security guards barred entry to some employees just hours after they received termination notices. An FDA staff member reported that employees were required to present badges at building entrances, and those terminated received a ticket with contact information for equipment retrieval.
The cuts at the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products completely eliminated the Office of Management and Office of Regulations, according to former director Mitch Zeller.
At the CDC, those affected included employees from the National Center for Environmental Health, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. One dismissed employee had been working on the federal response to measles outbreaks. Additionally, some staff directly employed by HHS were also laid off.
Termination emails clarified that the layoffs were not related to employees’ performance or conduct.
