Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

{{short description|United States government public health agency}} {{redirect|CDC}} {{redirect|CDCP|the former government-owned Construction and Development Corporation of the Philippines|Philippine National Construction Corporation}} {{redirect|Centers for Disease Control|affiliated agencies outside the US|List of national public health agencies}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}} {{Use American English|date=March 2020}} {{Infobox government agency | agency_name = {{wikidata|title}} | logo = {{#invoke:InfoboxImage|InfoboxImage|image={{#invoke:Wikidata|claim|P154}}|size=180px|sizedefault=frameless|upright=1|alt={{wikidata|title}} logo|suppressplaceholder=yes}} | logo_size = 180px | formed = {{Start date and age|1946|7|1}} | preceding1 = Office of National Defense Malaria Control Activities (1942) | preceding2 = Office of Malaria Control in War Areas (1942–46) | preceding3 = Communicable Disease Center (1946–67) | preceding4 = National Communicable Disease Center (1967–70) | preceding5 = Center for Disease Control (1970–80) | preceding6 = Centers for Disease Control (1980–92) | dissolved = | superseding = | jurisdiction = Federal government of the United States | headquarters = Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. | coordinates = {{Coord|33|47|58|N|84|19|42|W|region:US-GA_type:landmark|display=inline,title}} | employees = {{Wikidata|property|edit|P1128}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Salary Statistics |url=https://www.federalpay.org/employees/centers-for-disease-control-and-preventn |website=federalpay.org |access-date=November 20, 2025 }}</ref> | budget = US$11.581{{nbsp}}billion (FY24) | minister1_name = | minister1_pfo = | minister2_name = | minister2_pfo = | chief1_name = Jay Bhattacharya | chief1_position = Acting Director | chief2_name = | chief2_position = | parent_agency = {{Wikidata|property|linked|P749}} | website = {{Official URL}} | parent_department = }}

The '''Centers for Disease Control and Prevention''' ('''CDC''') is the national public health agency of the United States. It is a United States federal agency under the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hhs.gov/about/budget/fy-2020-cdc-contingency-staffing-plan/index.html|title=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|date=October 4, 2019|publisher=United States Department of Health and Human Services|access-date=May 15, 2020|archive-date=April 10, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200410150453/https://www.hhs.gov/about/budget/fy-2020-cdc-contingency-staffing-plan/index.html}}</ref><ref name=NiesseEmoryannexed>{{cite news|author=Niesse, Mark|url=https://www.ajc.com/news/local-govt--politics/city-atlanta-expansion-emory-and-cdc-approved/kMYzghHbvzD6THTyWpN1zH/|title=City of Atlanta's expansion to Emory and CDC approved|work=Atlanta Journal-Constitution|access-date=December 5, 2017}}</ref>

The agency's main goal is the protection of public health and safety through the control and prevention of disease, injury, and disability in the US and worldwide.<ref>{{cite web |author= |date=April 14, 2014 |title=Mission, Role and Pledge |url=https://www.cdc.gov/about/organization/mission.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170118010457/https://www.cdc.gov/about/organization/mission.htm |archive-date=January 18, 2017 |website=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention}}</ref> The CDC focuses national attention on developing and applying disease control and prevention. It especially focuses its attention on infectious disease, food borne pathogens, environmental health, occupational safety and health, health promotion, injury prevention, and educational activities designed to improve the health of United States citizens. The CDC also conducts research and provides information on non-infectious diseases, such as obesity and diabetes, and is a founding member of the International Association of National Public Health Institutes.<ref name="cdcoffwebsite">{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov|title=Home: CDC|website=cdc.gov|access-date=November 19, 2008}}</ref>

As part of the announced 2025 HHS reorganization, the CDC is planned to be reoriented towards infectious disease programs. It is planned to absorb the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, while the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health is planned to move into the new Administration for a Healthy America.<ref name=":02">{{Cite web |date=2025-03-27 |title=HHS Announces Transformation to Make America Healthy Again |url=https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/hhs-restructuring-doge.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250327135807/https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/hhs-restructuring-doge.html |archive-date=March 27, 2025 |access-date=2025-03-27 |website=U.S. Department of Health and Human Services |language=en }}</ref>

During the second Trump administration, the CDC faced major disruptions, including orders to halt cooperation with the World Health Organization, remove or restrict access to public health information, and pause agency communications, including a temporary suspension of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The administration also imposed content restrictions on scientific research, carried out large-scale layoffs and program cuts, and oversaw repeated leadership changes. Public health experts and medical organizations warned that these actions undermined scientific independence, public health capacity, and institutional stability.

In February 2026, ''Scientific American'' wrote that trust in the CDC has "plummeted under" HHS secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. As the CDC's databases are no longer maintained with accurate and up-to-date information, a "shadow CDC" of states and medical societies is forming to fill the vacuum.<ref name="Young_2/3/2026" />

==History== {{See also|Centers for Disease Control and Prevention timeline}}

=== Establishment === The '''Communicable Disease Center''' was founded July 1, 1946, as the successor to the World War II Malaria Control in War Areas program<ref name="pmid8955706">{{cite journal|author=Parascandola J|title=From MCWA to CDC{{snd}}origins of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|journal=Public Health Reports|date=November–December 1996|pmid=8955706|volume=111|issue=6|pages =549–551|pmc=1381908}}</ref> of the Office of National Defense Malaria Control Activities.<ref name="NARA">{{cite web|title=Records of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Record Group 442) 1921–2004 |work=Guide to Federal Records |publisher=National Archives and Records Administration |location=United States |date=November 9, 2010 |url=https://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/442.html |access-date=October 4, 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20101119230544/http://archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/442.html |archive-date=November 19, 2010 }}</ref>

Preceding its founding, organizations with global influence in malaria control were the Malaria Commission of the League of Nations and the Rockefeller Foundation.<ref name="Najera">{{cite journal|author=Nájera JA|title=Malaria control: achievements, problems and strategies|journal=Parassitologia|volume=43|issue=1–2|pages=1–89|date=June 2001|pmid=11921521}}</ref> The Rockefeller Foundation greatly supported malaria control,<ref name="Najera" /> sought to have the governments take over some of its efforts, and collaborated with the agency.<ref name="Stapelton">{{cite journal|author=Stapleton DH|title=Lessons of history? Anti-malaria strategies of the International Health Board and the Rockefeller Foundation from the 1920s to the era of DDT|journal=Public Health Rep|volume=119|issue=2|pages=206–215|year=2004|pmid=15192908|pmc=1497608|doi=10.1177/003335490411900214}}</ref>

The new agency was a branch of the U.S. Public Health Service and Atlanta was chosen as the location because malaria was endemic in the Southern United States.<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://journals.cambridge.org/repo_A87OY4Vt|title=War, Tropical Disease, and the Emergence of National Public Health Capacity in the United States|last=Sledge|first=Daniel|date=2012|journal=Studies in American Political Development|volume=26|issue=2|pages=125–162|doi=10.1017/S0898588X12000107|hdl=10106/24372|s2cid=145297402|hdl-access=free}}</ref> The agency changed names before adopting the name ''Communicable Disease Center'' in 1946. Offices were located on the sixth floor of the Volunteer Building on Peachtree Street.<ref>{{Cite web|date=March 22, 2017|title=Celebrating 7 Decades of Firsts|url=https://www.cdc.gov/museum/history/celebrating-7decades.html|access-date=June 14, 2020|website=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|language=en-us}}</ref>

With a budget at the time of about $1{{nbsp}}million, 59 percent of its personnel were engaged in mosquito abatement and habitat control with the objective of control and eradication of malaria in the United States.<ref>{{cite web|author=Division of Parasitic Diseases|title=Malaria Control in War Areas (1942–1945)|work=The History of Malaria, an Ancient Disease (2004)|publisher=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|location=Atlanta, Georgia|date=February 8, 2010|url=https://www.cdc.gov/malaria/history/index.htm#mcwa|access-date=March 21, 2011}}</ref>

Among its 369 employees, the main jobs at CDC were originally entomology and engineering. In CDC's initial years, more than six and a half million homes were sprayed, mostly with DDT. In 1946, there were only seven medical officers on duty and an early organization chart was drawn. Under Joseph Walter Mountin, the CDC continued to be an advocate for public health issues and pushed to extend its responsibilities to many other communicable diseases.<ref>{{cite journal|pmc=2030772|pmid=14930166|volume=67|issue=5|title=Dr. Joseph W. Mountin, pioneer in public health, 1891–1952|year=1952|journal=Public Health Rep|page=425|last1=Scheele|first1=L. A}}</ref>

In 1947, the CDC made a token payment of $10 to Emory University for {{convert|15|acre|m2}} of land on Clifton Road in DeKalb County, still the home of CDC headquarters as of 2025. CDC employees collected the money to make the purchase. The benefactor behind the "gift" was Robert W. Woodruff, chairman of the board of the Coca-Cola Company. Woodruff had a long-time interest in malaria control, which had been a problem in areas where he went hunting. The same year, the PHS transferred its San Francisco based plague laboratory into the CDC as the Epidemiology Division, and a new Veterinary Diseases Division was established.<ref name="pmid8955706" />

The CDC inherited the Tuskegee syphilis experiment from its predecessor, the U.S. Public Health Service.<ref name="tuskegee">{{cite web |url=https://www.cdc.gov/tuskegee/timeline.htm|title=U.S. Public Health Service Syphilis Study at Tuskegee: The Tuskegee Timeline |publisher=National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, CDC|date = December 22, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160103131421/https://www.cdc.gov/tuskegee/timeline.htm |archive-date=January 3, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> In the study, which lasted from 1932 to 1972, a group of Black men (nearly 400 of whom had syphilis) were studied to learn more about the disease. The disease was left untreated in the men, who had not given their informed consent to serve as research subjects.<ref name=tuskegee/>

=== Growth === thumb|The Communicable Disease Center moved to its current headquarters in 1960. Building 1 is pictured in 1963. In 1951, Chief Epidemiologist Alexander Langmuir's warnings of potential biological warfare during the Korean War spurred the creation of the Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) as a two-year postgraduate training program in epidemiology. The success of the EIS program led to the launch of Field Epidemiology Training Programs (FETP) in 1980, training more than 18,000 disease detectives in over 80 countries.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/globalhealth/healthprotection/fetp-40th-anniversary/index.html|title=FETP 40th Anniversary | Division of Global Health Protection | Global Health | CDC|date=March 12, 2021|website=CDC}}</ref> In 2020, FETP celebrated the 40th anniversary of the CDC's support for Thailand's Field Epidemiology Training Program. Thailand was the first FETP site created outside of North America and is found in numerous countries, reflecting CDC's influence in promoting this model internationally.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=White|first1=Mark|first2=Sharon M.|last2=McDonnell|first3=Denise H.|last3=Werker|first4=Victor M.|last4=Cardenas|first5=Stephen B.|last5=Thacker|year=2001|title=Partnerships in International Applied Epidemiology Training and Service|journal=American Journal of Epidemiology|volume=154|issue=11|pages=993–999|doi=10.1093/aje/154.11.993|pmid=11724714|doi-access=free}}</ref> The Training Programs in Epidemiology and Public Health Interventions Network (TEPHINET) has graduated 950 students.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tephinet.org/training-programs/thailand-field-epidemiology-training-program|title=Thailand Field Epidemiology Training Program | TEPHINET|website=www.tephinet.org}}</ref>

The mission of the CDC expanded beyond its original focus on malaria to include sexually transmitted diseases when the Venereal Disease Division of the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) was transferred to the CDC in 1957. Shortly thereafter, Tuberculosis Control was transferred (in 1960) to the CDC from PHS, and then in 1963 the Immunization program was established.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Beth E. Meyerson|author2=Fred A. Martich|author3=Gerald P. Naehr|year=2008|title=Ready to Go: The History and Contributions of U.S. Public Health Advisors|location=Research Triangle Park|publisher=American Social Health Association}}</ref>

It became the '''National Communicable Disease Center''' effective July 1, 1967, and the '''Center for Disease Control''' on June 24, 1970. At the end of the Public Health Service reorganizations of 1966–1973, it was promoted to being a principal operating agency of PHS.<ref name="NARA" />

===1980–2018=== Arlen Specter Headquarters and Emergency Operations Center|left|thumb The organization was renamed to the plural '''Centers for Disease Control''' effective October 14, 1980,<ref name="NARA"/> as the modern organization of having multiple constituent centers was established. By 1990, it had four centers formed in the 1980s: the Center for Infectious Diseases, Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, the Center for Environmental Health and Injury Control, and the Center for Prevention Services; as well as two centers that had been absorbed by CDC from outside: the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in 1973, and the National Center for Health Statistics in 1987.<ref name=":102">{{cite book |last=Etheridge |first=Elizabeth W. |url=https://archive.org/details/sentinelforhealt00eliz |title=Sentinel for Health: A History of the Centers for Disease Control |date=1992|publisher=University of California Press |isbn=978-0-520-91041-6 |location= |pages=[https://archive.org/details/sentinelforhealt00eliz/page/229 229–231], [https://archive.org/details/sentinelforhealt00eliz/page/342 342–343] |language=en |url-access=registration}}</ref>

An act of the United States Congress appended the words "and Prevention" to the name effective October 27, 1992. However, Congress directed that the initialism CDC be retained because of its name recognition.<ref>{{cite journal|title=CDC: the nation's prevention agency |journal=MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep |volume=41 |issue=44 |page=833 |year=1992 |pmid=1331740 |url=https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00017924.htm |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110611163317/http://cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00017924.htm |archive-date=June 11, 2011 |url-status=live |author1=Centers for Disease Control (CDC) }}</ref> Since the 1990s, the CDC focus has broadened to include chronic diseases, disabilities, injury control, workplace hazards, environmental health threats, and terrorism preparedness. CDC combats emerging diseases and other health risks, including birth defects, West Nile virus, obesity, avian, swine, and pandemic flu, E. coli, and bioterrorism, to name a few. The organization would also prove to be an important factor in preventing the abuse of penicillin. In May 1994 the CDC admitted having sent samples of communicable diseases to the Iraqi government from 1984 through 1989 which were subsequently repurposed for biological warfare, including Botulinum toxin, West Nile virus, ''Yersinia pestis'' and Dengue fever virus.<ref>"The eleventh plague: the politics of biological and chemical warfare" (pp. 84–86) by [http://www.leonardcole.com Leonard A. Cole] (1993)</ref>

In 1992, Mark L. Rosenberg and five CDC colleagues founded the CDC's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, with an annual budget of approximately $260,000. They focused on "identifying causes of firearm deaths, and methods to prevent them".<ref name="theatlantic_Masters_2016">{{cite news |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/04/cdc-gun-violence/476814 |title=Why Did the CDC Stop Researching Guns? |newspaper=The Atlantic |quote="The agencys' former leaders say they could do more to explore the subject, but officials fear political{{snd}}and personal{{snd}}retribution." |first=Kate |last=Masters |date=April 5, 2016 |access-date=February 21, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160405110730/https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/04/cdc-gun-violence/476814 |archive-date=April 5, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> Their first report, published in the ''New England Journal of Medicine'' in 1993 entitled "Guns are a Risk Factor for Homicide in the Home", reported "mere presence of a gun in a home increased the risk of a firearm-related death by 2.7 percent, and suicide fivefold{{snd}}a "huge" increase".<ref name="theatlantic_Masters_2016" /> In response, the National Rifle Association of America launched a "campaign to shut down the Injury Center". Two conservative pro-gun groups, Doctors for Responsible Gun Ownership and Doctors for Integrity and Policy Research joined the pro-gun effort, and, by 1995, politicians also supported the pro-gun initiative. In 1996, Jay Dickey (R) Arkansas introduced the Dickey Amendment stating "none of the funds available for injury prevention and control at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention may be used to advocate or promote gun control" as a rider in the 1996 appropriations bill.<ref name="theatlantic_Masters_2016" /><ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-104publ208/pdf/PLAW-104publ208.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090506002733/http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-104publ208/pdf/PLAW-104publ208.pdf |archive-date=May 6, 2009 |url-status=live|title=Public Law 104-208|date=September 30, 1996|work=Congressional Record|quote=... none of the funds available for injury prevention and control at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention may be used to advocate or promote gun control.}}</ref> Advocates for gun control opposed the amendment and continued to try to overturn it after it was passed.<ref name="PRI">{{cite web|url=https://theworld.org/stories/2015/06/30/quietly-congress-extends-ban-cdc-research-gun-violence|title=Quietly, Congress extends a ban on CDC research on guns|date=June 30, 2015 |publisher=Pri.org|access-date=November 29, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150703074353/http://www.pri.org/stories/2015-07-02/quietly-congress-extends-ban-cdc-research-gun-violence|archive-date=July 3, 2015}}</ref> In 1997, "Congress re-directed all of the money for gun research to the study of traumatic brain injury."<ref name="theatlantic_Masters_2016" /> David Satcher, CDC head 1993–98<ref>{{cite web|author=Office of Public Health and Science |title=David Satcher (1998–2002) |url=http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/history/biosatcher.htm |publisher=U.S. Department of Health and Human Services |date=January 4, 2007 |access-date=January 17, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071205160010/http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/history/biosatcher.htm |archive-date=December 5, 2007 }}</ref> advocated for firearms research.<ref name="theatlantic_Masters_2016" />

On April 21, 2005, then–CDC director Julie Gerberding formally announced the reorganization of CDC to "confront the challenges of 21st-century health threats".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/futures/g_letter_04-21-05.htm|title=Letter from Dr. Gerberding |date=April 21, 2005 |first1=Julie Louise |last1=Gerberding |publisher=CDC, Office of Director, The Futures Initiative |access-date=December 28, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160629062149/http://www.cdc.gov/futures/g_letter_04-21-05.htm|archive-date=June 29, 2016}}</ref> She established four coordinating centers. In 2009 the Obama administration re-evaluated this change and ordered them cut as an unnecessary management layer.<ref>{{cite web|last=Koenig|first=Robert|url=http://blogs.sciencemag.org/scienceinsider/2009/08/new-chief-order.html|title=New Chief Orders CDC to Cut Management Layers|publisher=Science |website=ScienceInsider |date=August 7, 2009 |access-date=April 16, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090920141107/http://blogs.sciencemag.org/scienceinsider/2009/08/new-chief-order.html|archive-date=September 20, 2009}}</ref>

On May 16, 2011, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's blog published an article instructing the public on what to do to prepare for a zombie invasion. While the article did not claim that such a scenario was possible, it did use the popular culture appeal as a means of urging citizens to prepare for all potential hazards, such as earthquakes, tornadoes, and floods.<ref>{{cite web|last=Khan|first=Ali S.|series=CDC Zombie Warning|url=http://blogs.cdc.gov/publichealthmatters/2011/05/preparedness-101-zombie-apocalypse|title=Preparedness 101: Zombie Apocalypse|work=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|date=May 16, 2011|access-date=March 8, 2014|archive-date=March 11, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140311064319/http://blogs.cdc.gov/publichealthmatters/2011/05/preparedness-101-zombie-apocalypse/}}</ref>

According to David Daigle, the associate director for communications, public health preparedness and response, the idea arose when his team was discussing their upcoming hurricane-information campaign and Daigle mused that "we say pretty much the same things every year, in the same way, and I just wonder how many people are paying attention." A social-media employee mentioned that the subject of zombies had come up a lot on Twitter when she had been tweeting about the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster and radiation. The team realized that a campaign like this would most likely reach a different audience from the one that normally pays attention to hurricane-preparedness warnings and went to work on the zombie campaign, launching it right before hurricane season began. "The whole idea was, if you're prepared for a zombie apocalypse, you're prepared for pretty much anything," said Daigle.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.skepticality.com/centers-zombie-control-prevention|title=Centers for Zombie Control and Prevention|work=Skepticality Podcast|date=October 25, 2011|access-date=March 8, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131225000204/http://www.skepticality.com/centers-zombie-control-prevention/|archive-date=December 25, 2013}}</ref>

Once the blog article was posted, the CDC announced an open contest for YouTube submissions of the most creative and effective videos covering preparedness for a zombie apocalypse (or apocalypse of any kind), to be judged by the "CDC Zombie Task Force". Submissions were open until October 11, 2011.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://prepare.challenge.gov|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120713171317/http://prepare.challenge.gov/|archive-date=July 13, 2012|title=Are You Prepared? Video Contest|publisher=Prepare.challenge.gov|access-date=April 16, 2012}}</ref> They also released a zombie-themed graphic novella available on their website.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cdc.gov/phpr/zombies_novella.htm |title=Zombie Novella|Zombie Preparedness|Are We Prepared? |publisher=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |date=April 10, 2015 |access-date=February 26, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170729111741/https://www.cdc.gov/phpr/zombies_novella.htm |archive-date=July 29, 2017 }}</ref> Zombie-themed educational materials for teachers are available on the site.<ref>{{cite web|date=April 10, 2015|title=Zombie Preparedness|url=https://www.cdc.gov/phpr/zombies.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210809004103/https://www.cdc.gov/cpr/zombie/index.htm?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcpr%2Fzombies.htm|archive-date=August 9, 2021|access-date=December 22, 2021|publisher=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention}}</ref>

In 2013, the American Medical Association, the American Psychological Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics sent a letter to the leaders of the Senate Appropriations Committee asking them "to support at least $10{{nbsp}}million within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in FY 2014 along with sufficient new taxes at the National Institutes of Health to support research into the causes and prevention of violence. Furthermore, we urge Members to oppose any efforts to reduce, eliminate, or condition CDC funding related to violence prevention research."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/congressional/Democrats_push_to_restart_CDC_funding_for_gun_violence_research.html|title=Democrats push to restart CDC funding for gun violence research|date=May 21, 2014 |publisher=Philly.com|access-date=November 29, 2015}}</ref> Congress maintained the ban in subsequent budgets.<ref name=PRI/> In 2016 over a dozen "public health insiders, including current and former CDC senior leaders" told ''The Trace'' interviewers that CDC senior leaders took a cautious stance in their interpretation of the Dickey Amendment and that they could do more but were afraid of political and personal retribution.<ref name="theatlantic_Masters_2016" />

As of 2013, the CDC's Biosafety Level 4 laboratories were among the few that exist in the world.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/ncezid/dhcpp/vspb |website=CDC |title=Viral Special Pathogens Branch|access-date=May 18, 2016}}</ref> They included one of only two official repositories of smallpox in the world, with the other one located at the State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology VECTOR in the Russian Federation. In 2014, the CDC revealed they had discovered several misplaced smallpox samples while their lab workers were "potentially infected" with anthrax.<ref>{{cite web|last=Scutti |first=Susan |url=https://www.newsweek.com/recent-cdc-anthrax-and-smallpox-mishaps-signal-potential-dangers-259923 |title=CDC Smallpox and Anthrax Mishaps Signal Other Potential Dangers |website=Newsweek |date=July 16, 2014 |access-date=February 26, 2017}}</ref>

The city of Atlanta annexed the property of the CDC headquarters effective January 1, 2018, as a part of the city's largest annexation within a period of 65 years; the Atlanta City Council had voted to do so the prior December.<ref name="NiesseEmoryannexed" /> The CDC and Emory University had requested that the Atlanta city government annex the area, paving the way for a MARTA expansion through the Emory campus, funded by city tax dollars.<ref>{{cite web | title=Emory, CDC to be Annexed into Atlanta | last1=Chess | first1=Richard | last2=Bober | first2=Madison | url=https://emorywheel.com/emory-cdc-to-be-annexed-into-atlanta/ | date=December 4, 2017 | website=The Emory Wheel | access-date=May 27, 2023}}</ref> The headquarters were located in an unincorporated area,<ref>{{cite web|author=Torpy, Bill|url=https://www.ajc.com/news/local/torpy-large-dekalb-has-annexation-anxiety-over-emory-cdc/EyaVzWIjxULTGi4iv7xwLK/|title=Torpy at Large: DeKalb has annexation anxiety over Emory, CDC|work=Atlanta Journal-Constitution|date=August 7, 2017|access-date=March 11, 2020}}</ref> statistically in the Druid Hills census-designated place.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/dc10map/GUBlock/st13_ga/place/p1324264_druid_hills/DC10BLK_P1324264_001.pdf|title=2010 Census Block Map – Druid Hills CDP, GA|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=July 11, 2023}} – Compare with [https://web.archive.org/web/20100203031222/https://www.cdc.gov/ the address]: "1600 Clifton Rd. Atlanta, GA 30333, USA"</ref>

=== COVID-19 === {{See also|Trump administration communication during the COVID-19 pandemic#Testing|}} The CDC has been widely criticized for its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, CDC director Rochelle Walensky acknowledged "some pretty dramatic, pretty public mistakes, from testing to data to communications", based on the findings of an internal examination.<ref name=nytreorg>{{Cite news |last1=LaFraniere |first1=Sharon |last2=Weiland |first2=Noah |date=August 17, 2022 |title=Walensky, Citing Botched Pandemic Response, Calls for C.D.C. Reorganization |language=en-US |work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/17/us/politics/cdc-rochelle-walensky-covid.html |access-date=August 21, 2022 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

The first confirmed case of COVID-19 was discovered in the U.S. on January 20, 2020.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Holshue|first1=Michelle L.|last2=DeBolt|first2=Chas|last3=Lindquist|first3=Scott|last4=Lofy|first4=Kathy H.|last5=Wiesman|first5=John|last6=Bruce|first6=Hollianne|last7=Spitters|first7=Christopher|last8=Ericson|first8=Keith|last9=Wilkerson|first9=Sara|last10=Tural|first10=Ahmet|last11=Diaz|first11=George|date=March 5, 2020|title=First Case of 2019 Novel Coronavirus in the United States|journal=New England Journal of Medicine|volume=382|issue=10|pages=929–936|doi=10.1056/NEJMoa2001191|issn=0028-4793|pmc=7092802|pmid=32004427}}</ref> However, widespread COVID-19 testing in the United States was effectively stalled until February 28, when federal officials revised a faulty CDC test, and days afterward, when the Food and Drug Administration began loosening rules that had restricted other labs from developing tests.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Whoriskey|first1=Peter|last2=Satija|first2=Neena|title=How U.S. coronavirus testing stalled: Flawed tests, red tape and resistance to using the millions of tests produced by the WHO|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/03/16/cdc-who-coronavirus-tests/}}</ref> In February 2020, as the CDC's early coronavirus test malfunctioned nationwide,<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|first1=Sara |last1=Murray|first2=Nick |last2=Valencia|first3=Jeremy |last3=Diamond|first4=Scott |last4=Glover|title=How coronavirus testing fumbles squandered valuable time|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/20/politics/coronavirus-testing-trump-administration-response-invs/index.html|access-date=August 9, 2020|website=CNN|date=April 20, 2020 }}</ref> CDC Director Robert R. Redfield reassured fellow officials on the White House Coronavirus Task Force that the problem would be quickly solved, according to White House officials. It took about three weeks to sort out the failed test kits, which may have been contaminated during their processing in a CDC lab. Later investigations by the FDA and the Department of Health and Human Services found that the CDC had violated its own protocols in developing its tests.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite news|last=Willman|first=David|date=June 20, 2020|title=CDC coronavirus test kits were likely contaminated, federal review confirms|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/cdc-coronavirus-test-kits-were-likely-contaminated-federal-review-confirms/2020/06/20/1ceb4e16-b2ef-11ea-8f56-63f38c990077_story.html}}</ref> In November 2020, ''NPR'' reported that an internal review document they obtained revealed that the CDC was aware that the first batch of tests which were issued in early January had a chance of being wrong 33 percent of the time, but they released them anyway.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kelly |first1=Alexandra |title=CDC knew first coronavirus test was flawed but released it anyway: report |url=https://thehill.com/changing-america/well-being/medical-advances/524784-cdc-knew-first-coronavirus-test-was-flawed-but/ |website=The Hill |date=November 6, 2020 |access-date=November 13, 2020}}</ref>

In May 2020, ''The Atlantic'' reported that the CDC was conflating the results of two different types of coronavirus tests – tests that diagnose current coronavirus infections, and tests that measure whether someone has ever had the virus. The magazine said this distorted several important metrics, provided the country with an inaccurate picture of the state of the pandemic, and overstated the country's testing ability.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Madrigal | first1=Alexis C. | last2=Meyer | first2=Robinson |date=May 21, 2020|title=How Could the CDC Make That Mistake?|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/05/cdc-and-states-are-misreporting-covid-19-test-data-pennsylvania-georgia-texas/611935/|access-date=August 9, 2020|website=The Atlantic|language=en-US}}</ref>

In July 2020, the Trump administration ordered hospitals to bypass the CDC and instead send all COVID-19 patient information to a database at the Department of Health and Human Services. Some health experts opposed the order and warned that the data might become politicized or withheld from the public.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Stolberg|first=Sheryl Gay|date=July 14, 2020|title=Trump Administration Strips C.D.C. of Control of Coronavirus Data|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/14/us/politics/trump-cdc-coronavirus.html|access-date=August 9, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> On July 15, the CDC alarmed health care groups by temporarily removing COVID-19 dashboards from its website. It restored the data a day later.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Ornstein|first=Charles|title=Out of View: After Public Outcry, CDC Adds Hospital Data Back to Its Website – for Now|url=https://www.propublica.org/article/out-of-view-after-public-outcry-cdc-adds-hospital-data-back-to-its-website-for-now?token=TuMy8gExpvZxdxiWRs7mTz21zSyVml5E|access-date=August 9, 2020|website=ProPublica|date=July 16, 2020|language=en|archive-date=August 9, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200809002917/https://www.propublica.org/article/out-of-view-after-public-outcry-cdc-adds-hospital-data-back-to-its-website-for-now?token=TuMy8gExpvZxdxiWRs7mTz21zSyVml5E}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Who took down the CDC's coronavirus data? The agency itself.|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/07/16/who-took-down-the-cdcs-coronavirus-data-the-agency-itself-367018|access-date=August 9, 2020|website=Politico|date=July 16, 2020 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=July 16, 2020|title=COVID-19 Data Dashboard – Patient Impact & Hospital Capacity|url=https://www.cdc.gov/nhsn/covid19/report-patient-impact.html|access-date=August 9, 2020|website=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|language=en-us}}</ref>

In August 2020, the CDC recommended that people showing no COVID-19 symptoms do not need testing. The new guidelines alarmed many public health experts.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Wu|first=Katherine J.|date=August 25, 2020|title=C.D.C. Now Says People Without Covid-19 Symptoms Do Not Need Testing|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/25/health/covid-19-testing-cdc.html|access-date=September 1, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The guidelines were crafted by the White House Coronavirus Task Force without the sign-off of Anthony Fauci of the NIH.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Sheridan|first=Kate|date=August 27, 2020|title=CDC director attempts to clarify controversial Covid-19 testing guidelines|url=https://www.statnews.com/2020/08/27/redfield-clarify-controversial-testing-guidelines/|access-date=September 1, 2020|website=STAT|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last1=Branswell|first1=Helen |first2=Kate |last2=Sheridan |date=August 27, 2020|title=New Covid-19 testing guidelines, crafted at the White House, alarm public health experts|url=https://www.statnews.com/2020/08/26/new-covid19-testing-guidelines-crafted-at-white-house-alarm-public-health-experts/|access-date=September 1, 2020|website=STAT|language=en-US}}</ref> Objections by other experts at the CDC went unheard. Officials said that a CDC document in July arguing for "the importance of reopening schools" was also crafted outside the CDC.<ref>{{Cite news|date=September 18, 2020|title=Covid-19 Live Updates: C.D.C. Website's Controversial Testing Guideline Was Not Written by C.D.C. Scientists|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/17/world/covid-19-coronavirus.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=September 18, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> On August 16, the chief of staff, Kyle McGowan, and his deputy, Amanda Campbell, resigned from the agency.<ref name="nytimes.com">Weiland, Noah, "[https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/16/us/politics/cdc-trump.html 'Like a Hand Grasping': Trump Appointees Describe the Crushing of the C.D.C.]", ''The New York Times'', December 16, 2020.</ref> The testing guidelines were reversed on September 18, 2020, after public controversy.<ref>{{Cite news|date=September 19, 2020|title=After Criticism, C.D.C. Reverses Covid-19 Guidelines on Testing People Who Were Exposed|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/18/world/covid-coronavirus.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=September 19, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

In September 2020, the CDC drafted an order requiring masks on all public transportation in the United States, but the White House Coronavirus Task Force blocked the order, refusing to discuss it, according to two federal health officials.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Kaplan|first=Sheila|date=October 10, 2020|title=Covid-19 Live Updates: White House Blocked C.D.C. From Mandating Masks on Public Transit|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/live/2020/10/09/world/covid-coronavirus |url-access=subscription |access-date=October 10, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

In October 2020, it was disclosed that White House advisers had repeatedly altered the writings of CDC scientists about COVID-19, including recommendations on church choirs, social distancing in bars and restaurants, and summaries of public-health reports.<ref>{{Cite news|first1=Rebecca |last1=Ballhaus |first2=Stephanie |last2=Armour |first3=Betsy |last3=McKay |date=October 15, 2020|title=A Demoralized CDC Grapples With White House Meddling and Its Own Mistakes|language=en-US|work=The Wall Street Journal|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/a-demoralized-cdc-grapples-with-white-house-meddling-and-its-own-mistakes-11602776561 |url-access=subscription |access-date=October 15, 2020|issn=0099-9660}}</ref>

In the lead up to 2020 Thanksgiving, the CDC advised Americans not to travel for the holiday saying, "It's not a requirement. It's a recommendation for the American public to consider." The White House coronavirus task force had its first public briefing in months on that date but travel was not mentioned.<ref>{{Cite news|date=November 20, 2020|title=Coronavirus: CDC urges Americans not to travel for Thanksgiving|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-55011155|access-date=November 21, 2020}}</ref>

The New York Times later concluded that the CDC's decisions to "ben[d] to political pressure from the Trump White House to alter key public health guidance or withhold it from the public [...] cost it a measure of public trust that experts say it still has not recaptured" as of 2022.<ref name=nytreorg/>

In May 2021, following criticism by scientists, the CDC updated its COVID-19 guidance to acknowledge airborne transmission of COVID-19, after having previously claimed that the majority of infections occurred via "close contact, not airborne transmission".<ref>{{Cite web |last=May |first=Brandon |date=May 10, 2021 |title=After Months of Prodding, CDC Updates Guidance on COVID-19 Airborne Transmission |url=https://www.biospace.com/article/cdc-s-updated-guidance-includes-statement-on-covid-19-airborne-transmission-/ |access-date=August 21, 2022 |website=BioSpace |language=en-US}}</ref>

In December 2021, following a request from the CEO of Delta Air Lines, CDC shortened its recommended isolation period for asymptomatic individuals infected with COVID-19 from 10 days to five.<ref>{{Cite news |work=NPR |url= https://www.npr.org/2021/12/29/1068731487/delta-ceo-asks-cdc-to-cut-quarantine |title= Delta's CEO asked the CDC for a 5-day isolation. Some flight attendants feel at risk |first1=Deepa |last1=Shivaram |date=December 29, 2021 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240204135120/https://www.npr.org/2021/12/29/1068731487/delta-ceo-asks-cdc-to-cut-quarantine |archive-date= February 4, 2024 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Shepardson |first=David |date=December 21, 2021 |title=Delta CEO asks CDC to cut quarantine time for breakthrough COVID cases |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/delta-ceo-asks-cdc-cut-quarantine-time-breakthrough-covid-cases-2021-12-21/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230714122900/https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/delta-ceo-asks-cdc-cut-quarantine-time-breakthrough-covid-cases-2021-12-21/ |archive-date=July 14, 2023 |website=Reuters}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=US shortens Covid-19 isolation window amid airline push |url=https://www.argusmedia.com/metals-platform/newsandanalysis/article/2287248-US-shortens-Covid-19-isolation-window-amid-airline-push |access-date=November 1, 2023 |website=Argus Metals |date=December 28, 2021 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231101203244/https://www.argusmedia.com/metals-platform/newsandanalysis/article/2287248-US-shortens-Covid-19-isolation-window-amid-airline-push |archive-date=November 1, 2023 }}</ref>

Until 2022, the CDC withheld critical data about COVID-19 vaccine boosters, hospitalizations and wastewater data.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Mandavilli |first=Apoorva |date=February 20, 2022 |title=The C.D.C. Isn't Publishing Large Portions of the Covid Data It Collects |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/20/health/covid-cdc-data.html |access-date=August 18, 2022 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

On June 10, 2022, the Biden Administration ordered the CDC to remove the COVID-19 testing requirement for air travelers entering the United States.<ref>{{Cite news |date=June 11, 2022 |title=US will end Covid-19 testing requirement for air travelers entering the country |newspaper=CNN |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2022/06/10/politics/us-to-end-pre-departure-testing-requirement/index.html |last1=Collins |first1=Kaitlan }}</ref>

====Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report modifications====

During the pandemic, the CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) came under pressure from political appointees at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to modify its reporting so as not to conflict with what Trump was saying about the pandemic.<ref name = Diamond>{{cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/11/exclusive-trump-officials-interfered-with-cdc-reports-on-covid-19-412809|title=Trump officials interfered with CDC reports on Covid-19|last=Diamond|first=Dan|date=September 11, 2020|work=Politico|access-date=September 14, 2020}}</ref>

Starting in June 2020, Michael Caputo, the HHS assistant secretary for public affairs, and his chief advisor Paul Alexander tried to delay, suppress, change, and retroactively edit MMR releases about the effectiveness of potential treatments for COVID-19, the transmissibility of the virus, and other issues where the president had taken a public stance.<ref name="Diamond" /> Alexander tried unsuccessfully to get personal approval of all issues of MMWR before they went out.<ref name="Sun">{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/09/12/trump-control-over-cdc-reports/ |url-access=subscription |title=Trump officials seek greater control over CDC reports on coronavirus|last=Sun|first=Lena H.|date=September 12, 2020|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=September 14, 2020}}</ref>

Caputo claimed this oversight was necessary because MMWR reports were being tainted by "political content"; he demanded to know the political leanings of the scientists who reported that hydroxychloroquine had little benefit as a treatment while Trump was saying the opposite.<ref name="Diamond" /> In emails Alexander accused CDC scientists of attempting to "hurt the president" and writing "hit pieces on the administration".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/12/us/politics/trump-coronavirus-politics-cdc.html |last1=Weiland |first1=Noah |last2=Stolberg |first2=Sheryl Gay |last3=Goodnough |first3=Abby |url-access=subscription |title=Political Appointees Meddled in C.D.C.'s 'Holiest of the Holy' Health Reports|date=September 12, 2020|work=The New York Times|access-date=September 14, 2020}}</ref>

In October 2020, emails obtained by ''Politico'' showed that Alexander requested multiple alterations in a report. The published alterations included a title being changed from "Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults" to "Persons." One current and two former CDC officials who reviewed the email exchanges said they were troubled by the "intervention to alter scientific reports viewed as untouchable prior to the Trump administration" that "appeared to minimize the risks of the coronavirus to children by making the report's focus on children less clear."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Diamond |first1=Dan |title=Trump official pressured CDC to change report on Covid and kids |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/10/05/trump-cdc-coronavirus-report-change-425538 |website=Politico|date=October 5, 2020 |access-date=October 7, 2020}}</ref>

==== Trust in the CDC after COVID-19 ==== A poll conducted in September 2020 found that nearly 8 in 10 Americans trusted the CDC, a decrease from 87 percent in April 2020. Another poll showed an even larger drop in trust with the results dropping 16 percentage points.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|last=Monroe|first=Madeline|date=September 15, 2020|title=Polls show trust in scientific, political institutions eroding|url=https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/516412-polls-show-trust-in-scientific-political-institutions-eroding/|access-date=November 15, 2020|website=The Hill|language=en}}</ref> By January 2022, according to an NBC News poll, only 44% of Americans trusted the CDC compared to 69% at the beginning of the pandemic.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hamblin |first=James |date=March 12, 2022 |title=Can Public Health Be Saved? |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/12/opinion/public-health-trust.html |access-date=April 1, 2022 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> As the trustworthiness eroded, so too did the information it disseminates.<ref name="nytimes.com"/> The diminishing level of trust in the CDC and the information releases also incited "vaccine hesitancy" with the result that "just 53 percent of Americans said they would be somewhat or extremely likely to get a vaccine."<ref name=":2" />

In September 2020, amid the accusations and the faltering image of the CDC, the agency's leadership was called into question. Former acting director at the CDC, Richard Besser, said of Redfield that "I find it concerning that the CDC director has not been outspoken when there have been instances of clear political interference in the interpretation of science."<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|date=September 16, 2020|title=CDC director is seen as allowing agency to buckle to political influence|url=https://www.statnews.com/2020/09/16/as-controversies-swirl-cdc-director-is-seen-as-allowing-agency-to-buckle-to-political-influence/|access-date=November 15, 2020|website=STAT|language=en-US}}</ref> In addition, Mark Rosenberg, the first director of CDC's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, also questioned Redfield's leadership and his lack of defense of the science.<ref name=":3" />

Historically, the CDC has not been a political agency; however, the COVID-19 pandemic, and specifically the Trump administration's handling of the pandemic, resulted in a "dangerous shift" according to a previous CDC director and others. Four previous directors claim that the agency's voice was "muted for political reasons."<ref>{{cite web |title=CDC's politicization 'extremely dangerous' for Americans, says its former head |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/cdcs-politicization-extremely-dangerous-for-americans-says-its-former-head |website=PBS NewsHour |date=July 14, 2020 |access-date=May 7, 2021}}</ref> Politicization of the agency has continued into the Biden administration as COVID-19 guidance is contradicted by State guidance<ref>{{cite web |title=New CDC guidance won't end NY mask mandate yet, Cuomo says |url=https://www.lohud.com/story/news/coronavirus/2021/05/13/cdc-guidance-mask-mandate-new-york-cuomo/5081053001/ |website=Iohud |access-date=May 15, 2021}}</ref> and the agency is criticized as "CDC's credibility is eroding".<ref>{{cite web |title='CDC's credibility is eroding' amid conflicting mask guidance, ex-Obama official says|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/11/cdcs-credibility-is-eroding-amid-conflicting-mask-guidance-ex-obama-official-says.html |website=CNBC|date=May 12, 2021 |access-date=May 15, 2021}}</ref>

In 2021, the CDC, then under the leadership of the Biden administration, received criticism for its mixed messaging surrounding COVID-19 vaccines, mask-wearing guidance, and the state of the pandemic.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Chow|first=Denise|date=April 6, 2021|title=CDC's messaging problem highlights pandemic's uncertain future|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/cdcs-messaging-problem-highlights-pandemics-uncertain-future-rcna602|access-date=April 17, 2021|website=NBC News|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Stanley-Becker |first1=Isaac |last2=Guarino |first2=Ben |last3=Stead Sellers |first3=Frances |last4=Eunjung Cha |first4=Ariana |last5=Sun |first5=Lena H. |title=CDC's mask guidance spurs confusion and criticism, as well as celebration |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/05/14/cdc-mask-update-decision-confusion/ |access-date=May 16, 2021 |newspaper=The Washington Post|date=May 15, 2021}}</ref>

On August 17, 2022, Walensky said the CDC would make drastic changes in the wake of mistakes during the COVID-19 pandemic. She outlined an overhaul of how the CDC would analyze and share data and how they would communicate information to the general public. In her statement to all CDC employees, she said: "For 75 years, CDC and public health have been preparing for COVID-19, and in our big moment, our performance did not reliably meet expectations."<ref>{{cite news |last=Steenhuysen |first=Julie |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/cdc-plans-reorganize-structure-after-pandemic-related-criticism-wsj-2022-08-17/ |title=U.S. CDC plans to focus on public health response after pandemic failings |work=Reuters |date=August 17, 2022 |access-date=August 17, 2022 }}</ref> Based on the findings of an internal report, Walensky concluded that "The CDC must refocus itself on public health needs, respond much faster to emergencies and outbreaks of disease, and provide information in a way that ordinary people and state and local health authorities can understand and put to use" (as summarized by the New York Times).<ref name=nytreorg/>

===Second Trump administration=== {{Democratic backsliding during the second Trump administration sidebar|expanded=government}} In January 2025, it was reported that a CDC official had ordered all CDC staff to stop working with the World Health Organization.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jan/27/cdc-world-health-organization-trump |title=CDC health officials in US ordered to stop working with WHO immediately |work=The Guardian |agency=Associated Press |date=January 27, 2025 |access-date=February 7, 2025}}</ref> Around January 31, 2025, several CDC websites, pages, and datasets related to HIV and STI prevention, LGBT and youth health became unavailable for viewing after the agency was ordered to comply with Donald Trump's executive order to remove all material of "diversity, equity, and inclusion" and "gender identity".<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Goodman |first2=Jen |last2=Christensen |first3=Nick |last3=Valencia |first4=Jacqueline |last4=Howard |first5=Deidre |last5=McPhillips |first1=Brenda |date=January 31, 2025 |title=CDC websites, datasets taken down as agency complies with Trump executive orders |url=https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/31/health/cdc-websites-gender-lgbtq-datasets/index.html |access-date=February 1, 2025 |website=CNN }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Stone |first=Will |date=January 31, 2025 |title=Trump administration purges websites across federal health agencies |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/01/31/nx-s1-5282274/trump-administration-purges-health-websites |access-date=February 1, 2025 |work=NPR }}</ref> Also in January 2025, due to a pause in communications imposed by the second Trump administration at federal health agencies, publication of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) was halted, the first time that had happened since its inception in 1960. The president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) called the pause in publication a "disaster." Attempts to halt publication had been made by the first Trump administration after MMWR published information about COVID-19 that "conflicted with messaging from the White House." The pause in communications also caused the cancellation of a meeting between the CDC and IDSA about threats to public health regarding the H5N1 influenza virus.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.medpagetoday.com/infectiousdisease/generalinfectiousdisease/113905 |title=Trump's Gag Order Halts CDC Publication |work=MedPage Today |last=Robertson |first=Rachael |date=January 23, 2025 |access-date=February 7, 2025}}</ref>

On February 1, 2025, the CDC ordered its scientists to retract any not yet published research they had produced which included any of the following banned terms: "Gender, transgender, pregnant person, pregnant people, LGBT, transsexual, non-binary, nonbinary, assigned male at birth, assigned female at birth, biologically male, biologically female".<ref name="Faust">{{Cite news |last=Faust |first=Jeremy |date=February 1, 2025 |title=CDC Researchers Ordered to Retract Papers Submitted to All Journals |url=https://www.medpagetoday.com/opinion/faustfiles/114043 |work=MedPage Today}}</ref> Larry Gostin, director of the World Health Organization Center on Global Health Law, said that the directive amounted to censorship of not only government employees, but private citizens as well. For example, if the lead author of a submitted paper works for the CDC and withdraws their name from the submission, that kills the submission even if coauthors who are private scientists remain on it.<ref name="CDC">{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/02/01/us/trump-tariffs-news/trump-gender-research|title=C.D.C. scientists ordered to withdraw studies that use terms such as 'L.G.B.T.' or 'pregnant people.'|author=Apoorva Mandavilli|work=New York Times|date=February 1, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250202135959/https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/02/01/us/trump-tariffs-news/trump-gender-research#trump-gender-research|archive-date=February 2, 2025}}</ref> Other censored topics include DEI, climate change, and HIV.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Taylor |first1=Lauren |last2=Hadar |first2=Roey |last3=Fogle |first3=Harry |title=Many federal websites, data sets go dark following Trump's 'gender ideology' ban |url=https://san.com/cc/many-federal-websites-data-sets-go-dark-following-trumps-gender-ideology-ban/ |website=Straight Arrow News |access-date=February 4, 2025 |date=January 31, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Pathak |first1=Ria |title=MSN |url=https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/sorry-we-can-t-find-that-page-over-8-000-dei-web-pages-from-dfa-cdc-irs-and-more-go-dark/ar-AA1ynuH5 |website=www.msn.com |access-date=February 4, 2025}}</ref>

Following extensive public backlash, some, but not all, of the removed pages were reinstated.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Mandavilli |first1=Apoorva |last2=Rabin |first2=Roni Caryn |title=C.D.C. Site Restores Some Purged Files After 'Gender Ideology' Ban Outcry |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/03/health/trump-gender-ideology-research.html |website=The New York Times |date=February 3, 2025}}</ref> The CDC's censorship led to many researchers and journalists to preserve databases themselves, with many removed articles being uploaded to archival sites such as the Internet Archive.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Miller |first1=Naseem S. |title=Researchers rush to preserve government health data |url=https://journalistsresource.org/home/researchers-rush-to-preserve-federal-health-databases-before-they-disappear-from-government-websites/ |website=The Journalist's Resource |publisher=Harvard Kennedy School |access-date=February 4, 2025 |date=January 31, 2025}}</ref>

On February 4, Doctors for America filed a federal lawsuit against the CDC, Food and Drug Administration, and Department of Health and Human Services, asking the removed websites to be put back online.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Pierson |first=Brendan |date=2025-02-12 |title=US health agencies sued over removal of health data websites |url=https://www.reuters.com/legal/us-health-agencies-sued-over-removal-health-data-websites-2025-02-04/ |access-date=2025-02-12 |work=Reuters}}</ref> On February 11, a judge ordered removed pages to be restored temporarily while the suit is being considered, citing doctors who said the removed materials were "vital for real-time clinical decision-making".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Pierson |first=Brendan |date=2025-02-12 |title=Trump administration ordered to restore removed CDC and FDA websites |url=https://www.reuters.com/legal/trump-administration-ordered-restore-us-health-agency-websites-that-were-2025-02-11/ |access-date=2025-02-12 |work=Reuters}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Stolberg |first=Sheryl Gay |date=2025-02-11 |title=Judge Orders CDC to Temporarily Restore Pages Removed After Trump Edict |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/11/us/politics/cdc-website-restore-pages-trump.html |access-date=2025-02-12 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

On February 14, 2025, around 1,300 CDC employees were laid off by the administration, which included all first-year officers of the Epidemic Intelligence Service.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Awan |first=Omer |title=Trump Administration Lays Off CDC's Epidemic Intelligence Service Workers, Threatening Science And Public Health |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/omerawan/2025/02/15/trump-administration-lays-off-cdcs-epidemic-intelligence-service-workers-threatening-science-and-public-health/ |access-date=2025-02-16 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref> The cuts also terminated 16 of the 24 Laboratory Leadership Service program fellows, a program designed for early-career lab scientists to address laboratory testing shortcomings of the CDC.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-02-18 |title=Layoffs hit many at CDC lab program that was started to address previous failures |url=https://apnews.com/article/cdc-lab-layoffs-b9e13d62d0da00611f84b7762be0c7b9 |access-date=2025-02-26 |website=AP News |language=en}}</ref> In the following month, the Trump administration quietly withdrew its CDC director nominee, Dave Weldon, just minutes before his scheduled Senate confirmation hearing on March 13.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/03/13/trump-withdraws-cdc-weldon-nominee/82362283007/ |title=Trump yanks CDC nominee minutes before Senate hearing |first1=Francesca |last1=Chambers |first2=Swapna Venugopal |last2=Ramaswamy |date=March 13, 2025 |newspaper=USA Today}}</ref>

In April 2025, it was reported that among the reductions is the elimination of the Freedom of Information Act team, the Division of Violence Prevention, laboratories involved in testing for antibiotic resistance, and the team responsible for determining recalls of hazardous infant products.<ref name=sdfsadfg>{{cite news |last=Chidi |first=George |title='No guidance and no leadership': chaos and confusion at CDC after mass firings |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/08/hhs-mass-firings |work=The Guardian |date=2025-04-08 |access-date=2025-04-13}}</ref> Additional cuts affect the technology branch of the Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics, which includes software engineers and computer scientists supporting the centre established during the COVID-19 pandemic to improve disease outbreak prediction.<ref name=sdfsadfg/>

In August 2025, over 600 CDC employees were laid off and a number of programs completely dismantled, including "[m]aternal and child health services, oral health programs, and the CDC's long-running Violence Against Children and Youth Surveys (VACS)."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gounder |first=Céline |date=2025-08-22 |title=CDC staff reel from shooting, harassment, vaccine panel and mass layoffs |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cdc-staff-shooting-harassment-vaccine-panel-layoffs/ |access-date=2025-08-25 |website=CBS News |language=en-US}}</ref> Experts have criticized the mass layoffs under Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for creating dangerous gaps in public health.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Sun |first1=Lena H. |last2=Moon |first2=Grace |date=2025-08-21 |title=After CDC shooting, anger grows as hundreds lose jobs |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/08/21/cdc-layoffs-shooting/ |access-date=2025-08-25 |newspaper=The Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> VACS, for instance, has played an essential role in gathering high-quality, actionable data used to assess and mitigate violent harm against children, with such harm being estimated as affecting half of all children worldwide.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Agathis |first1=Nickolas T. |last2=Annor |first2=Francis B. |last3=Mercy |first3=James |last4=Chiang |first4=Laura |last5=de Barros |first5=Regina Benevides |last6=Massetti |first6=Greta M. |date=2022-10-20 |title=How the global Violence Against Children and Youth Surveys help improve pediatric global health |journal=Pediatrics |volume=150 |issue=5 |pages=e2022057124 |doi=10.1542/peds.2022-057124 |pmid=36263716 |pmc=10683777 |issn=0031-4005}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2024-03-14 |title=About Violence Against Children and Youth Surveys |url=https://www.cdc.gov/violence-against-children/about/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250615043747/https://www.cdc.gov/violence-against-children/about/index.html |archive-date=2025-06-15 |access-date=2025-08-25 |work=CDC |language=en-us}}</ref>

==== 2025 headquarters shooting ==== On August 8, 2025, 30-year-old Patrick Joseph White of Kennesaw, Georgia, attacked the CDC's Roybal Campus in Atlanta, Georgia. White attempted to enter the headquarters, but was thwarted by security. White then drove across the street to a CVS Pharmacy where he barricaded himself inside on the second floor, and fired at the campus with a rifle, striking four CDC buildings on multiple floors over 180 times, breaking about 150 windows and piercing some of the blast-resistant windows; authorities recovered more than 500 shell casings and five firearms after the shooting.<ref name=":6">{{Cite news |last=Stobbe |first=Mike |date=August 11, 2025 |title=Man fired 180 shots, breaking 150 windows, in CDC attack |url=https://apnews.com/article/cdc-headquarters-shooting-dbb9e20a688f048f572c33ce2a57cd50 |access-date=August 11, 2025 |work=Associated Press}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=GBI: CDC shooter had no criminal record, used father's guns in attack | date=August 12, 2025 | url=https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2025/08/12/cdc-shooting-atlanta-covid-vaccine-guns }}</ref> 33-year-old David Rose, a DeKalb County Police Department officer, was fatally wounded by White as he arrived on the scene.<ref name=":5">{{Cite news |last1=Faheld |first1=Dalla |last2=Goodman |first2=Brenda |last3=Tirrell |first3=Meg |date=August 10, 2025 |title=Friday's attack on the CDC offices was targeted and deliberate, CDC leaders tell staffers |url=https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/10/health/atlanta-cdc-shooting-covid-vaccine |access-date=August 10, 2025 |work=CNN}}</ref> Officers entered the pharmacy and found White dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sarnoff |first=Leah |date=August 8, 2025 |title=Officer killed, suspect dead in shooting near CDC headquarters, Emory University campus |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/active-shooter-reported-emory-universitys-atlanta-campus/story?id=124495968 |access-date=August 9, 2025 |work=ABC News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=August 12, 2025 |title=Georgia authorities identify gunman in shooting outside the CDC in Atlanta. Here's what we know. |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/georgia-atlanta-shooting-cdc-emory-university-what-we-know/?ftag=CNM-00-10aab6a&linkId=851945722 |access-date=August 12, 2025 |work=CBS News}}</ref>

White is believed to have been motivated by distrust in vaccines, and believed the COVID-19 vaccine had made him depressed and suicidal.<ref name=":5" /> He had reached out for mental health assistance for weeks before the attack.<ref name=":5" /> Fired But Fighting, a group of laid-off CDC employees, blamed the attack on the anti-vaccine rhetoric of members of the Trump administration, saying that Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., "is directly responsible for the villainization of CDC's workforce through his continuous lies about science and vaccine safety".<ref name=":23">{{Cite news |last1=Amy |first1=Jeff |last2=Richer |first2=Alanna Durkin |date=August 9, 2025 |title=CDC shooter believed COVID vaccine made him suicidal, his father tells police |url=https://apnews.com/article/cdc-suspect-identified-georgia-officer-dead-2f8eba270597221e23d354164d5dbc0f |access-date=August 9, 2025 |work=Associated Press}}</ref><ref name=":5" /> A union representing CDC employees called on both the CDC and the leadership of the Department of Health and Human Services to denounce vaccine misinformation, and said that the attack was a result of compounding misinformation and obloquy towards science and health officials. While Kennedy Jr. had reached out to CDC staff and said "no one should face violence while working to protect the health of others", Jerome Adams, a former surgeon general, described Kennedy Jr.'s response as "tepid" and that Kennedy Jr. must do more given his past "inflammatory rhetoric".<ref>{{Cite news |date=August 10, 2025 |title=CDC union says vaccine misinformation put staff at risk after Atlanta shooting |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/10/atlanta-cdc-shooting |access-date=August 10, 2025 |work=The Guardian}}</ref> On August 11, Kennedy Jr. toured the Roybal Campus with deputy secretary Jim O'Neill and CDC director Susan Monarez, but did not speak with the media during the visit, although he did meet privately with Rose's widow.<ref name=":6" /> A day later, in an interview with ''Scripps News'', when Kennedy Jr. was asked if he had a message for CDC employees concerned about the consequences of misinformation about vaccines, he said political violence was "wrong" and claimed not enough was known about White's motives yet to draw conclusions before criticizing the government's previous vaccination efforts as "overreaching" and that the government had said "things that are not always true" in order to get people vaccinated.<ref>{{Cite news |date=August 12, 2025 |title=After the shooting at CDC, RFK Jr. criticizes agency's pandemic response |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/after-the-shooting-at-cdc-rfk-jr-criticizes-agencys-pandemic-response |access-date=August 13, 2025 |work=PBS News}}</ref> Trump did not respond to the shooting of the police officer.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Edwards |first1=Jonathan |last2=Bensen |first2=Hannah |title=A gunman shot at the CDC, killing an officer. Trump hasn't said a word. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/08/15/trump-cdc-police-officer-silence/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=15 August 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Haslett |first1=Cheyenne |last2=Kekatos |first2=Mary |title=1 week after deadly shooting at CDC, some employees feel Trump and RFK Jr. have moved on |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/1-week-after-deadly-shooting-cdc-employees-feel/story?id=124611063 |access-date=23 August 2025 |work=ABC News |date=15 Aug 2025 |language=en}}</ref>

White's father spoke in an interview with WANF, saying that he and his wife were watching a cable television network in their Kennesaw home when the phone rang. He picked up the phone and attempted to have a normal conversation with his son. White spoke to his father, "I'm gonna shoot up the CDC", before hanging up afterward. The couple immediately changed their channel to one of the Atlanta stations, where his father saw the unmistakable image of his car at the scene.<ref>{{Cite news |date=August 18, 2025 |title='I'm gonna shoot up the CDC': Patrick Joseph White's father details his family's horrors|url=https://www.atlantanewsfirst.com/2025/08/17/im-gonna-shoot-up-cdc-patrick-joseph-whites-father-details-his-familys-horrors/|access-date=August 18, 2025 |work=WANF}}</ref>

==== 2025 advisory committee purge and leadership dispute ==== On May 14, 2025, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stated that lawyer Matthew Buzzelli was acting CDC director, though it was not listed on the CDC website.<ref name="faust">{{cite news |last1=Faust |first1=Jeremy |date=9 April 2025 |title=Scoop: CDC has no Acting Director, sources confirm. |url=https://insidemedicine.substack.com/p/scoop-cdc-has-no-acting-director |access-date=6 May 2025 |work=Inside Medicine |language=en}}</ref><ref name="faust2">{{cite web |last1=Faust |first1=Jeremy |date=14 May 2025 |title=Breaking: RFK Jr. says Matthew Buzzelli, a lawyer with no public health experience, is the Acting CDC Director. |url=https://insidemedicine.substack.com/p/breaking-rfk-jr-says-matthew-buzzelli |access-date=15 May 2025 |website=Inside Medicine}}</ref>

In June 2025, Kennedy fired all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and—with one exception—appointed members who are either anti-vaccine activists or who lack expertise in vaccines.<ref name="advisory">{{Cite web |date=2025-06-12 |title=Meet the new members of CDC's vaccine advisory panel |url=https://www.advisory.com/daily-briefing/2025/06/12/acip-members |access-date=2025-06-16 |website=www.advisory.com |language=en}}</ref>

Susan Monarez was confirmed as CDC head on July 31, 2025, but on August 27, it was announced on X (formerly Twitter) that she had been fired. Monarez disputed the legality of the firing, as it had not been carried out by the president, and it had been falsely reported that she had resigned. The president later officially carried out the firing.<ref>{{Cite news |first1=Sheryl |last1=Gay Stolberg |first2=Apoorva |last2=Mandavilli |first3=Christina |last3=Jewett |date=August 27, 2025 |title=C.D.C. Director Is Ousted After Clashes With Kennedy Over Vaccines |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/27/health/cdc-monarez-kennedy-vaccines.html |access-date=August 27, 2025 |work=The New York Times |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250827212104/https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/27/health/cdc-monarez-kennedy-vaccines.html |archive-date=August 27, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Owermohle |first1=Sarah |last2=Cancryn |first2=Adam |last3=Goodman |first3=Brenda |last4=Tirrell |first4=Meg |date=August 27, 2025 |title=CDC left leaderless after new Director Dr. Susan Monarez is ousted and other key officials follow |url=https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/27/health/cdc-director-monarez |work=CNN |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251008130549/https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/27/health/cdc-director-monarez |archive-date=October 8, 2025}}</ref> Monarez was fired after refusing to rubber stamp what were expected to be unscientific recommendations from ACIP and to fire senior staff vaccine experts.<ref>{{cite news |first1=Sheryl Gay |last1=Stolberg |first2=Apoorva |last2=Mandavilli |first3=Christina |last3=Jewett |date=August 28, 2025 |title=Kennedy Sought to Fire C.D.C. Director Over Vaccine Policy |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/28/health/rfk-jr-susan-monarez-cdc-vaccines.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251012074104/https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/28/health/rfk-jr-susan-monarez-cdc-vaccines.html |archive-date=October 12, 2025}}</ref> The next day, the Trump administration announced the selection of Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services Jim O'Neill as a replacement.<ref>{{cite news |first=Dan |last=Diamond |date=August 28, 2025 |title=White House taps top RFK Jr. deputy as acting CDC director |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/08/28/cdc-director-jim-oneill/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250828210805/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/08/28/cdc-director-jim-oneill/ |archive-date=August 28, 2025}}</ref>

Following news of Monarez's ouster, at least four other CDC senior officials announced their resignations:<ref name="cnbc-27aug2025">{{cite news |last1=Constantino |first1=Annakin Kim |date=August 27, 2025 |title=CDC Director Susan Monarez ousted, four other leaders quit health agency |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2025/08/27/cdc-director-susan-monarez-.html |access-date=August 27, 2025 |work=CNBC}}</ref><ref name="th-27aug2025">{{cite news |last1=Choi |first1=Joseph |last2=Weixel |first2=Nathaniel |date=August 27, 2025 |title=4 CDC leaders resign over 'weaponizing of public health' |url=https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5474217-three-cdc-leaders-resign-over-weaponizing-of-public-health/ |access-date=August 27, 2025 |work=The Hill}}</ref><ref name="guard-28aug2025-2">{{cite news |last1=Dunbar |first1=Marina |date=August 28, 2025 |title=CDC in crisis: who are the top officials resigning or being forced out? |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/28/cdc-leaders-quit-susan-monarez-firing |access-date=August 28, 2025 |work=The Guardian}}</ref>

* Debra Houry, Chief Medical Officer * Demetre Daskalakis, Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases * Daniel Jernigan, Director of the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases * Jennifer Layden, Director of the Office of Public Health Data, Surveillance, and Technology, which contains the National Center for Health Statistics

Dozens of CDC employees walked out of headquarters and protested in support of Monarez and the departing officials.<ref>[https://www.axios.com/2025/08/28/cdc-walkout-protest-resignations-rfk-hhs Massive CDC walkout erupts amid internal chaos]</ref>

In November 2025 it was announced that primate research at CDC is due to end.<ref>{{cite web |title=Exclusive: CDC to end all monkey research |url=https://www.science.org/content/article/exclusive-cdc-end-all-monkey-research |website=www.science.org |access-date=18 December 2025 |language=en}}</ref>

==Organization== {{Main|Organization of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention}}

CDC's Roybal campus in Atlanta, Georgia|thumb Tom Harkin Global Communications Center|thumb [[File:CDC HDR I.jpg|thumb|CDC Building 17 in Atlanta, Georgia, as seen from Emory University]] The CDC is organized into centers, institutes, and offices (CIOs), with each organizational unit implementing the agency's activities in a particular area of expertise while also providing intra-agency support and resource-sharing for cross-cutting issues and specific health threats.<ref name="pmid8955706" />

As of the most recent reorganization in February 2023, the CIOs are:<ref>{{Cite web|date=February 21, 2023 |title=CDC Organization |url=https://www.cdc.gov/about/organization/cio.htm |access-date=February 22, 2023 |website=U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |language=en-us}}</ref> * National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases * National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases ** Division of Global Migration Health<ref>{{cite web |date=February 14, 2019 |title=Divisions and Office Overview |url=https://www.cdc.gov/ncezid/who-we-are/ncezid-divisions/index.html |access-date=October 30, 2020 |website=CDC}}</ref> * National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention * National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities * National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion * National Center for Environmental Health / Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry * National Center for Injury Prevention and Control * National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health * Public Health Infrastructure Center * Global Health Center * Immediate Office of the Director ** Chief of Staff ** Office of the Chief Operating Officer ** Office of Policy, Performance, and Evaluation ** Office of Equal Employment Opportunity and Workplace Equity ** Office of Communications ** Office of Health Equity ** Office of Science ** CDC Washington Office ** Office of Laboratory Science and Safety ** Office of Readiness and Response *** Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics ** Office of Public Health Data, Surveillance, and Technology *** National Center for Health Statistics

The Office of Public Health Preparedness was created during the 2001 anthrax attacks shortly after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Its purpose was to coordinate among the government the response to a range of biological terrorism threats.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/05/politics/bio-terrorism-office-gets-a-new-director.html|title=Bio-terrorism Office Gets a New Director|date=May 2, 2002|work=The New York Times|access-date=October 17, 2018}}</ref>

=== Locations === Most CDC centers are located in the Atlanta metropolitan area, where it has three major campuses:

* The Chamblee Campus in Chamblee, Georgia, opened in 1946, inheriting the site and buildings of Lawson General Hospital immediately adjacent to but not part of Naval Air Station Atlanta. Although it was initially planned to be shut down when the Roybal Campus opened, it was found that the latter was not suitable for live animal facilities. The buildings were slowly replaced with modern buildings over time.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Arnett |first=Adam |date=2009-07-14 |title=History of CDC Chamblee: a brief overview of the history of the Chamblee Campus from the early 19th Century to today |url=https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/44877 |publisher=CDC |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Etheridge |first=Elizabeth W. |url=https://archive.org/details/sentinelforhealt00eliz/page/25 |title=Sentinel for Health: A History of the Centers for Disease Control |date=1992 |location=Berkeley |publisher=University of California Press |via=Internet Archive |isbn=978-0-520-07107-0 |page=25}}</ref> * The Roybal Campus in Atlanta is the largest, named in honor of the late representative Edward R. Roybal. It was originally called the Clifton Road Campus. Although its land was donated by adjacent Emory University in 1947, it did not open until 1960.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-10-01 |title=CDC Timeline 1940s–1970s |url=https://www.cdc.gov/museum/timeline/1940-1970.html |access-date=2025-04-13 |website=U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |language=en-us}}</ref> Its Building 18, which opened in 2005, contains the premier BSL4 laboratory in the United States.<ref name="b18ie">{{cite news |title=CDC Structural Façade Inspection, Building 18 |url=https://ieiusa.com/iei-portfolio/cdc-structural-facade-inspection-building-18-altanta-ga/ |access-date=February 4, 2021 |publisher=Innovative Engineering}}</ref><ref name="mcwcdc">{{cite news |title=Centre for Disease Control – Building 18 |url=http://www.mcw.com/Projects/Details?f=m&title=Centre-for-Disease-Control---Building-18 |access-date=February 4, 2021 |publisher=MCW Hemisphere |archive-date=August 21, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180821214417/http://www.mcw.com/Projects/Details?f=m&title=Centre-for-Disease-Control---Building-18 }}</ref><ref name="ayusa">{{cite news |last1=Young |first1=Alison |title=Newly disclosed CDC biolab failures 'like a screenplay for a disaster movie' |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2016/06/02/newly-disclosed-cdc-lab-incidents-fuel-concerns-safety-transparency/84978860/ |publisher=USA Today |date=June 2, 2016}}</ref> * The Lawrenceville Campus in Lawrenceville, Georgia, was acquired with the intent of being a destination for Chamblee's animal facilities if that campus was shut down.<ref name=":4" /> It was first developed in the early 1960s.<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 2018 |title=Final Revised Environmental Assessment for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Lawrenceville Campus Proposed Improvements 2015–2025 |url=https://downloads.regulations.gov/CDC-2015-0049-0005/content.pdf |access-date=2024-04-12 |website=U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention}}</ref>

A few of the centers are based in or operate other domestic locations:<ref>{{Cite web|date=April 23, 2019|title=Living in Atlanta|url=https://www.cdc.gov/jobs/living-in-atlanta.html|access-date=May 29, 2019|website=U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention}}</ref> * The National Center for Health Statistics is primarily located in Hyattsville, Maryland, with a branch in Research Triangle Park in North Carolina. * The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health's primary locations are Cincinnati, Morgantown, Pittsburgh, Spokane, and Washington, D.C., with branches in Denver, Anchorage, and Atlanta. * The CDC Washington Office is based in Washington, D.C. * Two divisions of the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases are based outside Atlanta: the Division of Vector-Borne Diseases is based in Fort Collins, Colorado, with a branch in San Juan, Puerto Rico; while the Arctic Investigations Program is based in Anchorage. In addition, the Division of Global Migration Health operates quarantine facilities in 20 cities in the U.S.<ref>{{Cite web|date=April 24, 2019|title=U.S. Quarantine Stations|url=https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/quarantine-stations-us.html|access-date=May 29, 2019|website=U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention}}</ref>

==Budget== The CDC budget for fiscal year 2024 is $11.581{{nbsp}}billion.<ref>{{Cite web |publisher=CDC |date=March 9, 2023 |title=CDC Statement on President's Fiscal Year 2024 Budget |url=https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2023/s0309-budget.html|access-date=October 2, 2024}}</ref>

== Workforce == {{As of|2021|post=,}} CDC staff numbered approximately 15,000 personnel (including 6,000 contractors and 840 United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps officers) in 170 occupations. Eighty percent held bachelor's degrees or higher; almost half had advanced degrees (a master's degree or a doctorate such as a PhD, D.O., or M.D.).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/about/stateofcdc/html/budget-workforce.htm|title=State of CDC: Budget and Workforce|author=Office of the Associate Director for Communication|date=May 19, 2010|work=CDC Impact Story Topics|publisher=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|format=XHTML|access-date=March 21, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130122030856/http://www.cdc.gov/about/stateofcdc/html/budget-workforce.htm|archive-date=January 22, 2013}} For more data on 2008, click on the "2008" link.</ref>

Common CDC job titles include engineer, entomologist, epidemiologist, biologist, physician, veterinarian, behavioral scientist, nurse, medical technologist, economist, public health advisor, health communicator, toxicologist, chemist, computer scientist, and statistician.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/employment/menu_topjobs.html|title=Top Jobs at the CDC|date=April 1, 2008|work=Employment Information Homepage|publisher=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|access-date=March 21, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161116010109/http://www.cdc.gov/employment/menu_topjobs.html|archive-date=November 16, 2016}}</ref> The CDC also operates a number of notable training and fellowship programs, including those indicated below.

=== Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) === The Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) is composed of "boots-on-the-ground disease detectives" who investigate public health problems domestically and globally.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/eis/index.html|title=Epidemic Intelligence Service|publisher=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|access-date=September 27, 2016}}</ref> When called upon by a governmental body, EIS officers may embark on short-term epidemiological assistance assignments, or "Epi-Aids", to provide technical expertise in containing and investigating disease outbreaks.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/eis/epiaids.html|title=Epidemiologic Assistance|publisher=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|access-date=September 27, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Infectious diseases: emergence and re-emergence: a geographical analysis|last=Cliff|first=A.D.|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2009|isbn=978-0-19-924473-7|location=Oxford, UK}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Koplan|first1=Jeffrey P.|last2=Foege|first2=William H.|date=December 1, 2011|title=Introduction: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Epi-Aids – a fond recollection|journal=American Journal of Epidemiology|volume=174|issue=11 Suppl|pages=S1–3|doi=10.1093/aje/kwr303|issn=1476-6256|pmid=22135388|doi-access=free}}</ref> The EIS program is a model for the international Field Epidemiology Training Program.

=== Public Health Associates Program === The CDC also operates the Public Health Associate Program (PHAP), a two-year paid fellowship for recent college graduates to work in public health agencies all over the United States. PHAP was founded in 2007 and currently{{when|date=August 2019}} has 159 associates in 34 states.<ref>[https://www.cdc.gov/phap/index.html Public Health Associate Program website], CDC; retrieved April 12, 2014.</ref>

==Leadership== [[File:David J. Sencer.png|thumb|David Sencer points to a depiction of ''Triatomine sp.'', which transmits Chagas disease.]]

The director of the CDC is a position that currently requires Senate confirmation. The director serves at the pleasure of the president and may be fired at any time. The CDC director concurrently serves as the Administrator of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Dull |first=H. Bruce |date=May–June 1991 |title=About the CDC |journal=American Journal of Preventive Medicine |volume=7 |issue=3 |page=188 |doi=10.1016/s0749-3797(18)30938-3}}</ref>

Prior to January 20, 2025, it was a Senior Executive Service position<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/GPO-PLUMBOOK-2016/content-detail.html|title=United States Government Policy and Supporting Positions (Plum Book)|date=2016|website=U.S. Government Publishing Office|access-date=March 22, 2018}}</ref> that could be filled either by a career employee, or as a political appointment that does not require Senate confirmation, with the latter method typically being used.<ref name=":102" /><ref name="Frieden">Wilgoren, Debbi and Shear, Michael D. [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/15/AR2009051500295.html "Obama Chooses NYC Health Chief to Head CDC"], ''The Washington Post'', May 16, 2009.</ref><ref>Patel, Kant; Rushefsky, Mark E.; and McFarlane, Deborah R. ''The Politics of Public Health in the United States''. M.E. Sharpe, 2005; {{ISBN|978-0765611352}}{{page needed|date=October 2022}}.</ref> The change to requiring Senate confirmation was due to a provision in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Frieden |first=Joyce |date=June 28, 2023 |title=CDC Director Post Will Require Senate Confirmation Starting in 2025 |url=https://www.medpagetoday.com/washington-watch/washington-watch/105249 |access-date=September 13, 2023 |website=MedPage Today |language=en}}</ref>

Twenty directors have{{when|date=August 2022}} served the CDC or its predecessor agencies, including three who have served during the Trump administration (including Anne Schuchat who twice served as acting director)<ref name="NARA" /><ref>{{cite web|title=Past CDC Directors/Administrators|work=Office of Enterprise Communication|publisher=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)|date=February 19, 2009|url=https://www.cdc.gov/about/history/pastdirectors.htm|access-date=May 19, 2009|archive-date=May 6, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090506065546/http://www.cdc.gov/about/history/pastdirectors.htm}}</ref> and three who have served during the Carter administration (including one acting director not shown here).<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704740604576301531342633482|title=Health Official Reigned in '76 Swine-Flu Fight|newspaper=The Wall Street Journal|date=May 4, 2011|url-access=subscription}}</ref> Two served under Bill Clinton, but only one under the Nixon to Ford terms.

===List of directors=== The following persons have served as the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (or chief of the Communicable Disease Center):<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cdc.gov/museum/history/pastdirectors.html |title=Past Directors |work=CDC |date=June 26, 2023 }}</ref>

{| class=wikitable style="text-align:center" |- !{{Abbr|No.|Number}} !Portrait !Director !Term start !Term end !{{abbr|Refs.|References}} |- |1 |70px |Louis L. Williams Jr. |1942 |1943 | |- |2 |70px |Mark D. Hollis |1944 |1946 | |- |3 |70px |Raymond A. Vonderlehr |1947 |December 1951 |<ref>{{cite news |url=https://ajc.newspapers.com/newspage/397965846/ |title=Vonderlehr Succeeds to Health Post |date=January 2, 1952 |page=12 |newspaper=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |url-access=subscription |quote=Dr. R. A. Vonderlehr of Atlanta, medical director in charge of the Communicable Disease Center, Public Health Service, Federal Security Agency, has been appointed Southeastern regional medical director of the Public Health Service. He succeeds Dr. F. V. Meriwether, who has retired after a 32-year career in public health service. Dr. Justin M. Andrews, deputy officer in charge of the Communicable Disease Center for the past six years, has been named to succeed Dr. Vonderlehr as officer in charge of the center.}}</ref> |- |4 |70px |Justin M. Andrews |January 1952 |January 1953 |<ref>{{cite news |url=https://ajc.newspapers.com/newspage/400410811/ |title=Dr. Andrews Gets Capital Health Post |date=December 16, 1952 |page=21 |newspaper=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |url-access=subscription |quote=Dr. Justin M. Andrews, officer in charge of the Communicable Disease Center, Public Health Service, Atlanta, has been appointed assistant surgeon general and associate chief of the Bureau of State Services of the Public Health Service by Surgeon General Leonard A. Scheele in Washington. Dr. Theodore J. Bauer, chief of the Public Health Service division of venereal disease in Washington, has been named to succeed Dr. Andrews in Atlanta. He will assume his new duties about Jan. 15.}}</ref> |- |5 |70px |Theodore J. Bauer |January 15, 1953 |August 1956 |<ref>{{cite news |url=https://ajc.newspapers.com/newspage/398006500/ |title=Bauer Takes New PHS Post |date=January 17, 1953 |page=11 |newspaper=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |url-access=subscription |quote=Dr. Theodore J. Bauer, veteran Public Health Service medical officer, has assumed his new duties in charge of the Communicable Disease Center, Public Health Service, Federal Security Agency, with headquarters in Atlanta. Dr. Bauer succeeds Dr. Justin M. Andrews, who was appointed assistant surgeon general and associate chief of the Bureau of State Services with headquarters in Washington.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://ajc.newspapers.com/newspage/398053697/ |title=Bauer Named Assistant U.S. Health Chief |date=August 22, 1956 |page=9 |newspaper=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |url-access=subscription |quote=Dr. Theodore J. Bauer, chief of the Communicable Disease Center in Atlanta, Tuesday was appointed an assistant surgeon general of the Public Health Service in Washington. The appointment, which will become effective Sept. 1, was made by L. E. Burney, surgeon general.}}</ref> |- |6 |70px |Robert J. Anderson |October 1, 1956 |June 30, 1960 |<ref>{{cite news |url=https://ajc.newspapers.com/newspage/398060719/ |title=Dr. Anderson Heads Health Center Here |date=August 31, 1956 |page=7 |newspaper=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |url-access=subscription |quote=Dr. Robert J. Anderson, 42, a career officer in the U.S. Public Health Service and an expert in the field of tuberculosis control, has been named chief of the Communicable Disease Center here. Anderson succeeds Dr. Theodore Bauer, who recently was appointed deputy chief of State Services in Washington. The new CDC chief will report for duty in Atlanta Oct. 1.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://ajc.newspapers.com/newspage/397990117/ |title=Anderson Gets Top Health Post |date=June 2, 1960 |page=21 |newspaper=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |url-access=subscription |quote=Dr. Robert J. Anderson, chief of the U.S. Public Health Service's Communicable Disease Center here since October 1956, has been appointed deputy chief of the service's Bureau of State Services in Washington.}}</ref> |- |7 |70px |Clarence A. Smith |July 1960 |August 1962 |<ref>{{cite news |url=https://ajc.newspapers.com/newspage/397754020/ |title=Dr. Smith Appointed CDC Chief |date=July 5, 1960 |page=17 |newspaper=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |url-access=subscription |quote=Dr. Clarence A. Smith has been appointed chief of the U.S. Public Health Service's Communicable Disease Center here, it was announced Monday. Dr. Smith, who came to CDC in February 1957 as deputy chief, succeeds Dr. Robert J. Anderson, who was appointed deputy chief of the Public Health Service's Bureau of State Services in Washington.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://ajc.newspapers.com/newspage/398383943/ |title=Dr. Smith Going to Capital |date=August 14, 1962 |page=3 |newspaper=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |url-access=subscription |quote=Dr. C. A. Smith, chief of the Communicable Disease Center here since 1960, will leave for Washington this week to take a new post with the U.S. Bureau of Public Health. He will be replaced at the CDC on Sept. 1 by Dr. James L. Goddard}}</ref> |- |8 |70px |James L. Goddard |September 1, 1962 |January 1966 |<ref>{{cite news |url=https://ajc.newspapers.com/newspage/398263061/ |title=Dr. Goddard To Head U.S. Drug Agency |date=January 12, 1966 |page=6 |newspaper=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |url-access=subscription |quote=Dr. James L. Goddard, chief of the Communicable Disease Center in Atlanta, has been named to head the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.}}</ref> |- |9 |70px |David J. Sencer |February 1966 |May 1977 |<ref>{{cite news |url=https://ajc.newspapers.com/newspage/398515325/ |title=Dr. Sencer Elevated to CDC ChiefFebruary 9, 1966 |page=37 |newspaper=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |url-access=subscription |quote=Dr. David J. Sencer, deputy chief of the Communicable Disease Center in Atlanta since 1964, named chief of CDC Monday by Surgeon General William H. Stewart of the U.S. Public Health Service in Washington.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://ajc.newspapers.com/newspage/398664438/ |title=HEW Sec Secretary Fires CDC's Dr. Sencer |first=Craig R. |last=Hume |date=February 8, 1977 |page=1 |newspaper=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |url-access=subscription |quote=Dr. David J. Sencer, director of the national Center for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta for the last 10 years, was fired Monday by Health, Education and Welfare (HEW) Secretary Joseph Califano. The announcement was made Monday afternoon in Washington by an aide to Califano, while Sencer, along with 20 scientists and medical experts, was meeting in Califano's office to decide whether the government should resume the nationwide swine flu A source at the CDC indicated that Sencer is the fifth director of the six agencies within the U.S. Public Health Service to be removed by the Carter administration.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://ajc.newspapers.com/newspage/398664689/ |title=Sencer Says His Ouster Not Political |first=Craig R. |last=Hume |date=February 9, 1977 |page=17 |newspaper=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |url-access=subscription |quote=Dr. David Sencer said Tuesday afternoon that he was told his ouster as director of the national Center for Disease Control (CDC) was not a political decision, adding his departure will not dramatically affect the operation of the center in the near future... Until a successor is named, Califano asked Sencer to continue running the only federal agency based outside of Washington, D.C. "I'll keep signing the papers around here until then," he quipped.}}</ref> |- |10 |70px |William H. Foege |May 1977 |November 30, 1983 |<ref>{{cite news |url=https://ajc.newspapers.com/newspage/398462336/ |title=Foege Is Appointed Director of CDC |first=Stuart |last=Emmrich |date=April 6, 1977 |page=16 |newspaper=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |url-access=subscription |quote=Secretary of Health, Education Welfare Joseph Califano paid a visit to 1,200 employes of the Center for Disease Control here Tuesday and named one of the CDC's own as its new director. The appointment of Dr. William Foege, announced at the close of a 20-minute "get acquainted" speech by Califano, was greeted with a burst of applause and a minute-long standing ovation by the employes packed into the center's auditorium. Foege, named assistant director of the CDC in 1976 and an employee there since 1966, replaces David Sencer, who was ousted from the position by Califano in February after an 11-year stint as director.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://ajc.newspapers.com/newspage/399129850/ |title=Foege resigns as director of CDC after heading major health probes |first=Tracy |last=Thompson |date=April 7, 1983 |page=46 |newspaper=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |url-access=subscription |quote=Dr. William Foege, for six years director of the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta and the coordinator of such major medical investigations as the probe into the causes of toxic shock syndrome and Legionnaire's disease, announced his resignation Wednesday. Foege, 47, said he will be staying at the CDC to act as a liaison between the CDC and various medical schools across the country in the area of public health. "I've been here for six years, and I believed when I first started that I should only stay five or six years," Foege said today. "I think it's a good time to leave." No effective date for his resignation was set, but Foege said he would stay on as CDC director until his replacement could be found a process he said might take "some months." His resignation, which comes exactly six years after his appointment as CDC director on April 5, 1977, was announced this morning at a CDC staff meeting. It was submitted yesterday in a letter to Dr. Edward N. Brandt, assistant secretary for health in the Department of Health and Human Services.}}</ref> |- |11 |70px |James O. Mason |December 1, 1983 |April 1989 |<ref>{{cite news |url=https://ajc.newspapers.com/newspage/399415131/ |title=Injuries concern new CDC chief |first=Charles |last=Seabrook |date=October 7, 1983 |page=17 |newspaper=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |url-access=subscription |quote=Dr. James O. Mason, who will become the CDC director Dec. 1, has a strong record in disease prevention and a reputation for innovation in the health care field.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://ajc.newspapers.com/newspage/400220401/ |title=Atlantan Wins Confirmation To Health Post |first=Steve |last=Sternberg |date=April 21, 1989 |page=7 |newspaper=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |url-access=subscription |quote=Dr. James 0. Mason has been confirmed unanimously by the Senate to become assistant secretary of health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)... Dr. Walter Dowdle, former deputy director of the agency and a 29-year veteran of the CDC, has been named acting director until a new director is selected.}}</ref> |- bgcolor="#e6e6aa" |Acting |70px |Walter Dowdle |April 1989 |February 28, 1990 | |- |12 |70px |William L. Roper |March 1, 1990 |June 30, 1993 |<ref>{{cite news |url=https://ajc.newspapers.com/newspage/400109939/ |title=Roper gets off to non-stop start as he takes over helm of CDC |first=Steve |last=Sternberg |date=March 2, 1990 |page=17 |newspaper=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |url-access=subscription |quote=Dr. William L. Roper's first day at the Centers for Disease Control began Thursday the patriotic fanfare of a John Philip Sousa march and the whispered warning, "You're a minute late..." It was at the conclusion of the ceremony, as Dr. Roper was being shepherded off by the man he replaced, Acting CDC Director Walter Dowdle, and other officials to visit the heads of the six centers that make up his diverse agency, that his meticulously planned schedule began to unravel.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://ajc.newspapers.com/newspage/403104088/ |title=CDC director to head Prudential research center |first=Charles |last=Seabrook |date=June 22, 1993 |page=130 |newspaper=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |url-access=subscription |quote=The man who added "prevention" to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will head a first-of-its-kind research center to tackle health problems among insured Americans. Dr. William L. Roper, who ends his three-year stint as CDC director on June 30, will become president of Prudential Insurance Co. of America's new $20 million National Center for Health Care Research.}}</ref> |- bgcolor="#e6e6aa" |Acting |70px |Walter Dowdle |July 1, 1993 |November 14, 1993 |<ref>{{cite news |url=https://ajc.newspapers.com/newspage/402980567/ |title=Meharry chief may head CDC |first=Steve |last=Sternberg |date=July 3, 1993 |page=5 |newspaper=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |url-access=subscription |quote=The CDC's deputy director, Dr. Walter Dowdle, was named acting director on Thursday. It is his second acting directorship. Dr. Dowdle also led the CDC three years ago, during the search for Dr. Roper, who left the agency Monday...}}</ref> |- |13 |70px |David Satcher |November 15, 1993 |February 13, 1998 |<ref>{{cite news |url=https://ajc.newspapers.com/newspage/403357345/ |title=CDC chief to start work Nov. 15. |date=November 5, 1993 |page=38 |newspaper=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |url-access=subscription |quote=Dr. David Satcher, appointed in August to head the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, will begin his job on Nov. 15, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced Thursday.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://ajc.newspapers.com/newspage/403139455/ |title=CDC directorship could remain vacant for months |date=February 13, 1998 |page=8 |newspaper=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |url-access=subscription |quote=a former CDC staff Deputy Director Claire Broome is expected to be named acting chief until a permanent successor is chosen. Satcher was confirmed Tuesday by the Senate as surgeon general... Dr. David Satcher, outgoing director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is scheduled to be sworn in this morning as U.S. surgeon general.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.uab.edu/newsarchive/43447-u-s-surgeon-general-to-address-commencement |title=U.S. Surgeon General to Address Commencement |date=May 22, 2000 |publisher=University of Alabama at Birmingham}}{{dead link|date=May 2025}}</ref> |- bgcolor="#e6e6aa" |Acting |70px |Claire V. Broome |February 14, 1998 |October 4, 1998 | |- |14 |70px |Jeffrey P. Koplan |October 5, 1998 |March 31, 2002 |<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ianphi.org/who-we-are/biography-executive.cfm/third/executive/staff_id/0DC197D2-123F-73FE-89B61A336FB4B8D5|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101015040509/http://ianphi.org/who-we-are/biography-executive.cfm/third/executive/staff_id/0DC197D2-123F-73FE-89B61A336FB4B8D5|archive-date=October 15, 2010|title=National Public Health Institute, NPHI Advocacy|publisher=IANPHI|access-date=April 16, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1998/07/11/disease-detective-named-cdcs-chief/1888b07d-a238-44a8-b1a2-3a7dc193a4b9/ |title='Disease Detective' Named CDC'S Chief |date=July 11, 1998 |first=Russ |last=Bynum |newspaper=Washington Post}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.science.org/content/article/cdc-chief-calls-it-quits |title=CDC Chief Calls It Quits |date=February 22, 2002 |first=Martin |last=Enserink |journal=Science |doi=10.1126/article.25111 |doi-broken-date=August 18, 2025 }}</ref> |- bgcolor="#e6e6aa" |acting |70px |David Fleming |April 1, 2002 |June 2, 2002 |<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/bioterrorism/team-four-will-lead-cdc-until-new-director-named |title=Team of four will lead CDC until new director is named |date=April 3, 2002 |work=Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy |publisher=University of Minnesota}}</ref> |- |15 |70px |Julie Gerberding |June 3, 2002 |January 20, 2009 |<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cdc-gets-first-female-director/ |title=CDC Gets First Female Director |date=July 2, 2002 |work=CBS News}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/cdc-director-resigns-government-e-mail-says/531-e0c2891a-e167-4a74-8dca-fdd0f5ab75cb |title=CDC director resigns, government e-mail says |date=January 9, 2009 |work=WTHR}}</ref> |- bgcolor="#e6e6aa" |interim |70px |William Gimson |January 20, 2009 |January 22, 2009 |<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.deseret.com/2009/1/11/20295759/departing-director-of-cdc-has-drawn-praise-and-criticism/ |title=Departing director of CDC has drawn praise and criticism |date=January 11, 2009 |newspaper=Deseret News}}</ref> |- bgcolor="#e6e6aa" |acting |70px |Richard Besser |January 22, 2009 |June 7, 2009 |<ref>{{cite web |url=https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/114132/cdc_114132_DS1.pdf |title=Besser Named Interim CDC Director |date=January 2009 |work=CDC Connection |publisher=CDC}}</ref> |- |16 |70px |Thomas R. Frieden |June 8, 2009 |January 20, 2017 |<ref name="Frieden" /><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.statnews.com/2017/01/18/zika-cdc-frieden/ |title='We were days away' from Ebola pandemic: a Q&A with departing CDC Director Tom Frieden |first=Helen |last=Branswell |date=January 18, 2017 |work=Stat News}}</ref> |- bgcolor="#e6e6aa" |acting |70px |Anne Schuchat |January 20, 2017 |July 6, 2017 |<ref name="Schuchat">{{cite web|url = https://www.cdc.gov/about/leadership/leaders/pdd.html|title = Principal Deputy Director: Anne Schuchat, MD |website = cdc.gov|date =August 2, 2019}}</ref> |- |17 |70px |Brenda Fitzgerald |July 7, 2017 |January 31, 2018 |<ref name="Fitzgerald">{{Cite news|url=https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/371592-cdc-head-resigns-after-report-she-traded-tobacco-stocks/|title=CDC head resigns after report she traded tobacco stocks|last=Hellmann|first=Jessie|date=January 31, 2018|work=The Hill|access-date=January 31, 2018}}</ref> |- bgcolor="#e6e6aa" |acting |70px |Anne Schuchat |February 1, 2018 |March 26, 2018 |<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2018/02/01/cdc-employees-are-delighted-that-their-acting-director-is-back-in-charge/ |title=CDC employees are delighted that their acting director is back in charge |date=February 2, 2018 |first=Lena H. |last=Sun |newspaper=Washington Post}}</ref> |- |18 |70px |Robert R. Redfield |March 26, 2018 |January 20, 2021 |<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2018/03/21/longtime-aids-researcher-robert-redfield-picked-to-lead-cdc/|title=Longtime AIDS researcher Robert Redfield picked to lead CDC|last=Sun|first=Lena H.|date=March 21, 2018|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=March 22, 2018|issn=0190-8286}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/20/world/the-departing-cdc-director-discusses-his-time-at-the-agency.html |title=The departing C.D.C. director discusses his time at the agency. |first=Sheila |last=Kaplan |date=January 20, 2021 |newspaper=New York Times |url-access=subscription}}</ref> |- |19 |70px |Rochelle Walensky |January 20, 2021 |June 30, 2023 |<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)00076-3/fulltext |title=Rochelle Walensky: new Director of the US CDC |first=Susan |last=Jaffe |volume=397 |issue=10271 |page=268 |date=January 23, 2021 |journal=The Lancet |doi=10.1016/S0140-6736(21)00076-3 |pmid=33453755 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/05/health/walensky-cdc-resignation.html |title=Walensky Resigns as C.D.C. Director |first1=Apoorva |last1=Mandavilli |first2=Noah |last2=Weiland |newspaper=New York Times |date=May 5, 2023 |url-access=subscription}}</ref> |- bgcolor="#e6e6aa" |acting |70px |Nirav D. Shah |July 1, 2023 |July 10, 2023 |<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.govexec.com/management/2023/06/cdc-getting-new-leader-it-seeks-remake-itself-after-pandemic/388157/ |title=The CDC is getting a new leader as it seeks to remake itself after the pandemic |first=Courtney |last=Bublé |date=June 30, 2023 |work=Government Executive}}</ref> |- |20 |70px |Mandy Cohen |July 10, 2023 |January 20, 2025 |<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/11/health/cdc-director-mandy-cohen/index.html |title= New CDC director brings health care, public health experience to agency facing aftermath of pandemic |first=Jen |last=Christensen |date=July 11, 2023 |work=CNN}}</ref> |- bgcolor="#e6e6aa" |acting |70px |Susan Monarez |January 23, 2025 |March 24, 2025 |<ref>{{Cite web |title=Susan Monarez, a CDC outsider, tapped as agency's acting director |url=https://subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2025/01/susan-monarez-a-cdc-outsider-tapped-as-agencys-acting-director-00200336 |access-date=January 24, 2025 |work=Politico |language=en |date=January 23, 2025 |first=Sophie |last=Gardner}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.cdc.gov/about/leadership/director.html |title=Acting Director, First Assistant to the Director, Principal Deputy Director |access-date=January 27, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250127121812/https://www.cdc.gov/about/leadership/director.html |archive-date=January 27, 2025 |date=January 24, 2025 |work=CDC}}</ref> |- bgcolor="#e6e6aa" |acting |70px |Matthew Buzzelli |March 24, 2025 |July 30, 2025 |<ref name="faust2" /> |- |21 |70px |Susan Monarez |July 31, 2025 |August 27, 2025 |<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2025/2025-secretary-kennedy-swears-in-susan-monarez-as-cdc-director-to-advance-make-america-healthy-again.html |title=Secretary Kennedy Swears in Susan Monarez as CDC Director to Advance 'Make America Healthy Again' Agenda |date=July 31, 2025 |publisher=CDC}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/27/health/cdc-monarez-kennedy-vaccines.html |title=New C.D.C. Director Is Fired, White House Says |first1=Sheryl Gay |last1=Stolberg |first2=Apoorva |last2=Mandavilli |first3=Christina |last3=Jewett |date=August 27, 2025 |newspaper=The New York Times |url-access=subscription}}</ref> |- bgcolor="e6e6aa" |acting |70px |Jim O'Neill |August 28, 2025 |February 13, 2026 |<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwy3zjxy3dwo |title=White House names RFK Jr deputy as replacement CDC director |date=August 27, 2025 |first1=Nadine |last1=Yousif |first2=Peter |last2=Bowes |work=BBC News}}</ref><ref name=":7">{{Cite news |last=Stolberg |first=Sheryl Gay |date=2026-02-18 |title=N.I.H. Director Will Temporarily Run C.D.C. in Leadership Shake-Up |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/18/us/politics/bhattacharya-kennedy-cdc-director.html |access-date=2026-02-19 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> |- bgcolor="e6e6aa" |acting |93x93px |Jay Bhattacharya |February 18, 2026 |''Incumbent'' |<ref name=":7" /> |- |}

==Datasets and survey systems== * CDC Scientific Data, Surveillance, Health Statistics, and Laboratory Information.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/scientific.htm|title=CDC Data and Statistics|publisher=CDC – National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion|access-date=August 10, 2006}}</ref> * Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), the world's largest, ongoing telephone health-survey system.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/BRFSS|title=Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System|publisher=CDC: National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion|access-date=August 5, 2006}}</ref> * [https://www.cdc.gov/prams/index.htm Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System] (PRAMS), a surveillance system on maternal and infant health with telephone and mail questionnaires in English and Spanish<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Wang |first1=Kevin |last2=Sha |first2=M. Mandy |date=March 1, 2013 |title=A Comparison of Results from a Spanish and English Mail Survey: Effects of Instruction Placement on Item Missingness |url=https://surveyinsights.org/?p=1741 |journal=Survey Methods: Insights from the Field |language=en-US |doi=10.13094/SMIF-2013-00006 |issn=2296-4754 |doi-access=free}}</ref> in 50 US jurisdictions.<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 22, 2022 |title=About PRAMS |url=https://www.cdc.gov/prams/about/prams-faq.htm |access-date=December 21, 2023 |website=CDC |language=en-us}}</ref> * Mortality Medical Data System.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/about/major/dvs/about.htm|title=NCHS – Mortality Data – About the Mortality Medical Data System|publisher=CDC – National Center for Health Statistics|access-date=January 9, 2007}}</ref> * Abortion statistics in the United States<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/Data_Stats/index.htm|title=CDC – Data and Statistics – Reproductive Health|publisher=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|date=April 4, 2012|access-date=April 16, 2012}}</ref> * CDC WONDER (Wide-ranging ONline Data for Epidemiologic Research)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://wonder.cdc.gov/|title=CDC WONDER|website=wonder.cdc.gov}}</ref> * Data systems of the National Center for Health Statistics<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/index.htm|title=CDC – NCHS – National Center for Health Statistics|date=August 8, 2021|website=CDC}}</ref>

In 2025, nearly half of the CDC databases faced unexplained pauses, mostly concerning vaccination surveillance.<ref name="McCormick">{{cite web |last1=McCormick |first1=Brooke |title=Unexplained Pauses Hit Nearly Half of Monthly-Updated CDC Databases, Raising Transparency Concerns {{!}} AJMC |url=https://www.ajmc.com/view/unexplained-pauses-hit-nearly-half-of-monthly-updated-cdc-databases-raising-transparency-concerns |website=www.ajmc.com |language=en |date=30 January 2026}}</ref> In October 2025, 38 publicly available CDC databases, which should be updated monthly, were not current, and by December 2025 only one of those databases had been updated.<ref name="McCormick"/> In addition to databases concerning vaccines, databases reporting on respiratory diseases and drug overdose deaths have also not been updated.<ref name="McCormick"/> The pauses to these databases being updated began mostly around when Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was confirmed as HHS secretary.<ref name="McCormick"/>

In February 2026, ''Scientific American'' wrote that trust in the CDC has "plummeted under [Kennedy's] watch". As the CDC's databases are no longer maintained with accurate and up-to-date information, a "shadow CDC" of states and medical societies is forming to fill the vacuum:<ref name="Young_2/3/2026">{{cite web | last=Young | first=Lauren J. | title=A 'shadow CDC' is scrambling to fill gaps in public health data | website=Scientific American | date=February 3, 2026 | url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/states-and-medical-societies-are-stepping-up-to-fill-the-cdcs-data-void/ | access-date=February 3, 2026}}</ref> {{blockquote| The agency has been a leading voice for evidence-backed health guidance and a sentinel for deadly disease outbreaks for decades. But over the past year, the CDC's authority has crumbled as the agency has replaced subject matter experts with vaccine deniers and discarded evidence in favor of ideology.}}

==Areas of focus== [[File:Smallpox eradication team.jpg|thumb|Donald Henderson as part of the CDC's smallpox eradication team in 1966]]

===Communicable diseases=== The CDC's programs address more than 400 diseases, health threats, and conditions that are major causes of death, disease, and disability. The CDC's website has information on various infectious (and noninfectious) diseases, including smallpox, measles, and others.

==== Influenza ====

The CDC targets the transmission of influenza, including the H1N1 swine flu, and launched websites to educate people about hygiene.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.cdc.gov/flu/index.htm|title = Influenza (Flu)|date = June 4, 2021|publisher = Centers for Disease Control and Prevention}}</ref>

==== Division of Select Agents and Toxins ==== [[File:Preparing to enter Ebola treatment unit.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.85|CDC and MSF staff preparing to enter an Ebola treatment unit in Liberia, August 2014]] Within the division are two programs: the Federal Select Agent Program (FSAP) and the Import Permit Program. The FSAP is run jointly with an office within the U.S. Department of Agriculture, regulating agents that can cause disease in humans, animals, and plants. The Import Permit Program regulates the importation of "infectious biological materials."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/phpr/dsat/about.htm|title=About the Division of Select Agents and Toxins|date=October 10, 2018|publisher=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|access-date=October 17, 2018}}</ref>

The CDC runs a program that protects the public from rare and dangerous substances such as anthrax and the Ebola virus. The program, called the Federal Select Agent Program, calls for inspections of labs in the U.S. that work with dangerous pathogens.<ref>Cohen, Bryan. [http://bioprepwatch.com/biological-threats/cdcs-select-agents-program-protects-against-bioterror-threats/335879 "CDC's Select Agents Program protects against bioterror threats"] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20141018024321/http://bioprepwatch.com/biological-threats/cdcs-select-agents-program-protects-against-bioterror-threats/335879 |date=October 18, 2014 }}, BioPrepWatch, February 10, 2014; accessed October 17, 2014.</ref>

During the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa, the CDC helped coordinate the return of two infected American aid workers for treatment at Emory University Hospital, the home of a special unit to handle highly infectious diseases.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Achenbach|first1=Joel|last2=Dennis|first2=Brady|last3=Hogan|first3=Caelainn|title=American doctor infected with Ebola returns to U.S.|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/us-confirms-2-americans-with-ebola-coming-home-for-treatment/2014/08/01/c20a27cc-1995-11e4-9e3b-7f2f110c6265_story.html|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=August 2, 2014}}</ref>

As a response to the 2014 Ebola outbreak, Congress passed a Continuing Appropriations Resolution allocating $30,000,000 towards CDC's efforts to fight the virus.<ref>{{cite web|title=Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2015|url=https://beta.congress.gov/113/bills/hjres124/BILLS-113hjres124ih.pdf|publisher=congress.gov|access-date=September 17, 2014}}</ref>

===Non-communicable diseases=== The CDC also works on non-communicable diseases, including chronic diseases caused by obesity, physical inactivity and tobacco-use.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/obesity|title=Overweight & Obesity|publisher=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|access-date=August 4, 2015}}</ref> The work of the Division for Cancer Prevention and Control, led from 2010 by Lisa C. Richardson, is also within this remit.<ref name="CDC - organisational chart 2021">{{cite web |title=Organization Chart |url=https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/center/organization/index.htm |publisher=CDC |website = National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP)|date = March 22, 2024}}</ref><ref name="DCPC2020">{{cite web |title=Division of Cancer Prevention and Control – at a glance |url=https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/pdf/aag/dcpc-H.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190618075611/https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/pdf/aag/dcpc-H.pdf |archive-date=June 18, 2019 |url-status=live |website=CDC |access-date=August 17, 2021}}</ref>

===Antibiotic resistance=== The CDC implemented their ''National Action Plan for Combating Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria'' as a measure against the spread of antibiotic resistance in the United States. This initiative has a budget of $161{{nbsp}}million and includes the development of the Antibiotic Resistance Lab Network.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/solutions-initiative/ar-lab-networks.html |title=Antibiotic Resistance Lab Network | Antibiotic/Antimicrobial Resistance | CDC |publisher=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |date=January 5, 2017 |access-date=February 26, 2017}}</ref>

=== Global health === Globally, the CDC works with other organizations to address global health challenges and contain disease threats at their source. They work with many international organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) as well as ministries of health and other groups on the front lines of outbreaks. The agency maintains staff in more than 60 countries, including some from the U.S. but more from the countries in which they operate.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/globalhealth/what/default.htm|title=CDC Global Health – What We're Doing|date=September 15, 2017|publisher=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|access-date=April 19, 2018}}</ref> The agency's global divisions include the Division of Global HIV and TB (DGHT), the Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria (DPDM), the Division of Global Health Protection (DGHP), and the Global Immunization Division (GID).<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.cdc.gov/globalhealth/organization.htm |title = Organization of the CDC Center for Global Health|publisher=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|date = March 24, 2016}}</ref>

The CDC has been working with the WHO to implement the ''International Health Regulations'' (IHR), an agreement between 196 countries to prevent, control, and report on the international spread of disease, through initiatives including the Global Disease Detection Program (GDD).<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.uniteforsight.org/surveillance/module2 | website = Unite for Sight | title = Module 2: WHO and CDC Global Surveillance Systems | access-date = January 20, 2017 | archive-date = June 22, 2018 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180622142529/http://www.uniteforsight.org/surveillance/module2 }}</ref>

The CDC has also been involved in implementing the U.S. global health initiatives President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and President's Malaria Initiative.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/globalhivtb/who-we-are/about-us/globalhiv/globalhiv.html|title=CDC's Role in Global HIV Control|publisher=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|access-date=April 19, 2018}}</ref>

===Travelers' health=== The CDC collects and publishes health information for travelers in a comprehensive book, ''CDC Health Information for International Travel'', which is commonly known as the "yellow book."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/yellowbook-home|title=2018 Yellow Book Home|website=CDC|access-date=June 1, 2017}}</ref> The book is available online and in print as a new edition every other year and includes current travel health guidelines, vaccine recommendations, and information on specific travel destinations. The CDC also issues travel health notices on its website, consisting of three levels: * "Watch": Level 1 (practice usual precautions) * "Alert": Level 2 (practice enhanced precautions) * "Warning": Level 3 (avoid nonessential travel)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices|title=Travel Health Notices|website=CDC |date = August 29, 2019}}</ref>

=== Vaccine safety === The CDC uses a number of tools to monitor the safety of vaccines. The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), a national vaccine safety surveillance program run by CDC and the FDA. "VAERS detects possible safety issues with U.S. vaccines by collecting information about adverse events (possible side effects or health problems) after vaccination."<ref>{{Cite web|date=July 23, 2020|title=Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS)|url=https://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/ensuringsafety/monitoring/vaers/index.html|access-date=August 28, 2020|publisher=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention}}</ref> The CDC's Safety Information by Vaccine page provides a list of the latest safety information, side effects, and answers to common questions about CDC recommended vaccines.<ref>{{Cite web|date=July 17, 2020|title=Safety Information by Vaccine|url=https://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/vaccines/index.html|access-date=August 28, 2020|publisher=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention}}</ref>

The Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD) works with a network of healthcare organizations to share data on vaccine safety and adverse events.<ref name="datalink">{{cite journal |last1=Chen |first1=R. T. |last2=Glasser |first2=J. W. |last3=Rhodes |first3=P. H. |last4=Davis |first4=R. L. |last5=Barlow |first5=W. E. |last6=Thompson |first6=R. S. |last7=Mullooly |first7=J. P. |last8=Black |first8=S. B. |last9=Shinefield |first9=H. R. |last10=Vadheim |first10=C. M. |last11=Marcy |first11=S. M. |last12=Ward |first12=J. I. |last13=Wise |first13=R. P. |last14=Wassilak |first14=S. G. |last15=Hadler |first15=S. C. |title=Vaccine Safety Datalink Project: A New Tool for Improving Vaccine Safety Monitoring in the United States |journal=Pediatrics |date=June 1, 1997 |volume=99 |issue=6 |pages=765–773 |doi=10.1542/peds.99.6.765|pmid=9164767 }}</ref> The Clinical Immunization Safety Assessment (CISA) project is a network of vaccine experts and health centers that research and assist the CDC in the area of vaccine safety.<ref name="CISA">{{cite web |title=Clinical Immunization Safety Assessment (CISA) Project |url=https://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/ensuringsafety/monitoring/cisa/index.html |website=CDC |access-date=October 7, 2022 |language=en-us |date=September 30, 2021}}</ref>

CDC also runs a program called V-safe, a smartphone web application that allows COVID-19 vaccine recipients to be surveyed in detail about their health in response to getting the shot.<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 18, 2022 |title=V-safe After Vaccination Health Checker |url=https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/safety/vsafe.html |access-date=October 7, 2022 |website=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |language=en-us}}</ref>

=== CDC revises stance on autism and vaccines ===

{{see also|Vaccine misinformation|Vaccines and autism}} Under the leadership of HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the CDC website on "Autism and Vaccines" was radically changed from its earlier September 2025 version<ref name="CDC_RFK_Autism_Vaccines_09/23/2025">{{cite web |title=Autism and Vaccines |website=CDC |date=September 23, 2025 |url=https://www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safety/about/autism.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250923160830/https://www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safety/about/autism.html |archive-date=September 23, 2025}}</ref> to a new version on November 19, 2025.<ref name="CDC_RFK_Autism_Vaccines_11/19/2025">{{cite web |title=Autism and Vaccines |website=CDC |date=November 19, 2025 |url=https://www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safety/about/autism.html |access-date=November 20, 2025 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20251120033453/https://www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safety/about/autism.html |archive-date=November 20, 2025}}</ref>

In an interview, Kennedy reportedly said that "he personally instructed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to abandon its longstanding position that vaccines do not cause autism — a move that underscores his determination to challenge scientific consensus and bend the health department to his will."<ref name="Stolberg_11/21/2025">{{cite news |last=Stolberg |first=Sheryl Gay |title=RFK Jr. Says He Instructed CDC to Change Vaccines and Autism Language on Website |work=The New York Times |date=November 21, 2025 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/21/us/politics/rfk-jr-cdc-vaccines-autism-website.html |access-date=November 22, 2025 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20251121190010/https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/21/us/politics/rfk-jr-cdc-vaccines-autism-website.html |archive-date=November 21, 2025}}</ref>

Numerous sources commented on the change.<ref name="k893">{{cite news |last1=Stein |first1=Rob |last2=Huang |first2=Pien |title=The CDC revives debunked 'link' between childhood vaccines and autism |work=NPR |date=November 20, 2025 |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/11/20/nx-s1-5615040/cdc-rfk-childhood-vaccines-autism |access-date=November 22, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251122101725/https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/11/20/nx-s1-5615040/cdc-rfk-childhood-vaccines-autism |archive-date=November 22, 2025}}</ref><ref name="MSNOW_11/20/2025">{{cite web |title='We can't trust the CDC anymore': Website revised to say vaccines may cause autism |website=MS NOW |via=YouTube |date=November 20, 2025 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSezvlw5qLU |access-date=November 22, 2025}}</ref>

FactCheck.org wrote that the change was not evidence-based and quoted David S. Mandell, a psychiatry professor at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and director of the Penn Center for Mental Health:<ref name="McDonald_Yandell_11/20/2025">{{cite web |last1=McDonald |first1=Jessica |last2=Yandell |first2=Kate |title=Revised CDC Website About Autism and Vaccines Is Not Evidence-Based |website=FactCheck.org |date=November 20, 2025 |url=https://www.factcheck.org/2025/11/revised-cdc-website-about-autism-and-vaccines-is-not-evidence-based/ |access-date=November 22, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251121020418/https://www.factcheck.org/2025/11/revised-cdc-website-about-autism-and-vaccines-is-not-evidence-based/ |archive-date=November 21, 2025}}</ref> {{blockquote| "As any scientist knows, you can't 'prove' the lack of association. You conduct related studies, over and over, until the bulk of evidence finds no association."

He added: The "CDC page is the equivalent of 'you haven't proven that ghosts don't exist' or perhaps more to the point, 'you haven't proven that driving during pregnancy doesn't cause autism, so pregnant women should stop driving.'"}}

''The Washington Post'' wrote:<ref name="Sun_11/20/2025">{{cite news |last=Sun |first=Lena H. |title=CDC in turmoil after agency backpedals on debunking vaccines-autism link |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=November 20, 2025 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/11/20/cdc-vaccines-autism-website-change/ |access-date=November 20, 2025 |archive-date=November 20, 2025 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20251120164745/https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/11/20/cdc-vaccines-autism-website-change/ |url-access=limited}}</ref> {{blockquote| The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has repudiated its past insistence that vaccines do not cause autism after decades of fighting misinformation linking the two, blindsiding career staff and delighting anti-vaccine activists.<br /> The agency's website on vaccines and autism, updated Wednesday, now makes several false claims about a connection, echoing longtime rhetoric from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has a lengthy history of disparaging vaccines and linking them to autism.}}

''The New York Times'' wrote:<ref name="Yoon_11/20/2025">{{cite news |last=Yoon |first=John |title=C.D.C. Website No Longer Rejects Possible Link Between Autism and Vaccines |newspaper=The New York Times |date=November 20, 2025 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/20/health/vaccine-autism-cdc-website.html |access-date=November 20, 2025 |archive-date=November 20, 2025 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20251120123907/https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/20/health/vaccine-autism-cdc-website.html |url-status=live}}</ref> {{blockquote| A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website that previously said that vaccines do not cause autism walked back that statement, contradicting the agency's previous efforts to fight misinformation about a connection between the two.<br /> The agency's webpage on vaccines and autism, updated on Wednesday, now repeats the skepticism that Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has voiced about the safety of vaccines, though dozens of scientific studies have failed to find evidence of a link.}}

Many medical associations and journals have issued statements and protests against the changes: * American Academy of Pediatrics<ref name="Jenco_11/20/2025">{{cite web |last=Jenco |first=Melissa |title=AAP: 'Stop wasting government resources to amplify false claims' about vaccines, autism | website=American Academy of Pediatrics |date=November 20, 2025 |url=https://publications.aap.org/aapnews/news/33818/AAP-Stop-wasting-government-resources-to-amplify?autologincheck=redirected |access-date=November 22, 2025 }}</ref> * Autism Science Foundation<ref name="Volpe_11/20/2025">{{cite web | last=Volpe | first=C.J. | title=CDC's New Autism Webpage Distorts Science and Rejects Decades of Evidence on Vaccine Safety | website=Autism Science Foundation | date=November 20, 2025 | url=https://autismsciencefoundation.org/press_releases/cdc-webpage/ | access-date=November 22, 2025 }}</ref> * American Public Health Association, the largest professional organization of public health professionals in the United States, represents numerous organizations and more than 25,000 members worldwide<ref name="APHA_11/20/2025">{{cite web | author=APHA | title=Statement on CDC autism website changes | website=American Public Health Association | date=November 20, 2025 | url=https://www.apha.org/news-and-media/news-releases/apha-news-releases/statement-on-cdc-autism-website-changes | access-date=November 22, 2025 }}</ref> * Infectious Diseases Society of America (and HIV Medicine Association, Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists)<ref name="IDSA_11/20/2025">{{cite web | author=IDSA | title=Statement on CDC's vaccines and autism webpage | website=Infectious Diseases Society of America | date=November 20, 2025 | url=https://www.idsociety.org/news--publications-new/articles/2025/statement-on-cdcs-vaccines-and-autism-webpage/ | access-date=November 22, 2025 }}</ref> * American Medical Association<ref name="Fryhofer_11/20/2025">{{cite web | last=Fryhofer | first=Sandra Adamson | title=AMA statement on CDC changes to website on autism and vaccines | website=American Medical Association | date=November 20, 2025 | url=https://www.ama-assn.org/press-center/ama-press-releases/ama-statement-cdc-changes-website-autism-and-vaccines | access-date=November 22, 2025 }}</ref> * The BMJ<ref name="Taylor_11/21/2025">{{cite journal | last=Taylor | first=Luke | title=CDC website altered to suggest possible link between vaccines and autism | journal=The BMJ | publisher=BMJ | volume=391 | date=November 21, 2025 | issn=1756-1833 | doi=10.1136/bmj.r2470 | article-number=r2470}}</ref> * Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy<ref name="Szabo_Bergeson_11/20/2025">{{cite web | last1=Szabo | first1=Liz | last2=Bergeson | first2=Laine | title=After unprecedented autism-vaccine messaging change, scientists, advocates say CDC no longer trustworthy | website=Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy | date=November 20, 2025 | url=https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/childhood-vaccines/after-unprecedented-autism-vaccine-messaging-change-scientists-advocates-say-cdc | access-date=November 22, 2025 }}</ref>

In an attempt to counter the ensuing lack of accurate official governmental information on autism caused by R. F. Kennedy Jr's actions, former NIH institute directors, autism researchers, and advocacy leaders have established the Independent Autism Coordinating Committee to coordinate work among nongovernment autism research funders and create a scientific agenda for the autism community.<ref name="George_3/3/2026">{{cite web | last=George | first=Judy | title=Autism Scientists Form Independent Committee to Counter RFK Jr. | website=MedPage Today | date=March 3, 2026 | url=https://www.medpagetoday.com/neurology/autism/120149 | access-date=March 8, 2026}}</ref>

== CDC Foundation == The CDC Foundation operates independently from CDC as a private, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization incorporated in the State of Georgia. The creation of the foundation was authorized by section 399F of the Public Health Service Act to support the mission of CDC in partnership with the private sector, including organizations, foundations, businesses, educational groups, and individuals.<ref>{{cite web|title=42 U.S. Code § 280e–11 – Establishment and duties of Foundation |url=https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42/280e-11 |website=Legal Information Institute |access-date=September 12, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160918211846/https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42/280e-11 |archive-date=September 18, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cdcfoundation.org/|title=CDCfoundation.org|publisher=CDCfoundation.org|access-date=April 16, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120427005757/http://www.cdcfoundation.org/|archive-date=April 27, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> From 1995 to 2022, the foundation raised over $1.6 billion and launched more than 1,200 health programs.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=July 7, 2022 |title=CDC Foundation |url=https://www.cdc.gov/about/business/cdcfoun.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220725170721/https://www.cdc.gov/about/business/cdcfoun.htm |archive-date=July 25, 2022 |access-date=August 7, 2022 |website=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |language=en-us}}</ref> Bill Cosby formerly served as a member of the foundation's Board of Directors, continuing as an honorary member after completing his term.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Stokes |first1=Charles |last2=Jacobs |first2=Phil |title=Fiscal Year 2008 Report to Contributors |url=https://www.cdcfoundation.org/sites/default/files/upload/pdf/ReportToContributors_FY08.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220806034654/https://www.cdcfoundation.org/sites/default/files/upload/pdf/ReportToContributors_FY08.pdf |archive-date=August 6, 2022 |access-date=August 9, 2022 |website=CDC Foundation}}</ref>

The foundation engages in research projects and health programs in more than 160 countries every year, including in focus areas such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, emergency response, and infectious diseases, particularly HIV/AIDS, Ebola, rotavirus, and COVID-19.<ref name=":0"/> * '''EmPOWERED Health Program:''' Launched in November 2019 with funding from Amgen, the program works to empower cancer patients to become actively involved in the decision making around their treatments.<ref>{{Cite web |date=December 9, 2021 |title=CDC Foundation Active Programs October 1, 2020 – September 30, 2021 |url=https://www.cdcfoundation.org/CDCF-ActivePrograms-CDC-FY21?inline |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220115161004/https://www.cdcfoundation.org/CDCF-ActivePrograms-CDC-FY21?inline |archive-date=January 15, 2022 |access-date=August 8, 2022 |website=CDC Foundation}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022 |title=EmPOWERED Health Program |url=https://www.cdcfoundation.org/programs/empowered-health-program |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220808155430/https://www.cdcfoundation.org/programs/empowered-health-program |archive-date=August 8, 2022 |access-date=August 8, 2022 |website=CDC Foundation |language=en}}</ref> * '''Fries Prize for Improving Health:''' An annual prize first awarded in 1992 that "recognizes an individual who has made major accomplishments in health improvement and with the general criteria of the greatest good for the greatest number".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fries Prize for Improving Health |url=https://www.cdcfoundation.org/fries-prize-for-improving-health |access-date=November 27, 2023 |website=CDC Foundation |language=en}}</ref>

In 2015, ''BMJ'' associate editor Jeanne Lenzer raised concerns that the CDC's recommendations and publications may be influenced by donations received through the foundation, which includes pharmaceutical companies.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Lenzer |first=Jeanne |date=May 15, 2015 |title=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: protecting the private good? |url=https://www.bmj.com/content/350/bmj.h2362 |journal=BMJ |language=en |volume=350 |article-number=h2362 |doi=10.1136/bmj.h2362 |issn=1756-1833 |pmid=25979454|s2cid=37357486 |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

== Publications == * CDC publications<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/Publications|title= Publications|publisher=CDC|access-date=October 10, 2012}}</ref> * State of CDC report<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/about/stateofcdc/index.htm|title=CDC Publication Archives |publisher=CDC|access-date=October 10, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304213254/http://www.cdc.gov/about/stateofcdc/index.htm|archive-date=March 4, 2016}}</ref> * CDC Programs in Brief<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/programs|title=Programs in Brief: Home Page|publisher=CDC|access-date=August 10, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060718013207/http://www.cdc.gov/programs|archive-date=July 18, 2006}}</ref> * ''Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr|title=Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report|publisher=CDC|access-date=October 10, 2012}}</ref> * ''Emerging Infectious Diseases'' (monthly journal)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/pages/about.htm|title=About the Emerging Infectious Diseases journal |publisher=CDC|access-date=October 10, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105064444/http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/pages/about.htm |archive-date= November 5, 2012 }}</ref> * ''Preventing Chronic Disease'' * Vital statistics<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss.htm|title=CDC/National Center for Health Statistics|access-date=October 14, 2014}}</ref>

=== CDC Departments === * ATSDR – CDC department * NIOSH – CDC department ** N95 respirator – regulated by NIOSH ** Division of Industrial Hygiene – predecessor to NIOSH

=== Other US Executive Departments === * MSHA – co-regulator of respirators prior to 1998 ** Bureau of Mines – predecessor to MSHA * National Highway Traffic Safety Administration * OSHA

== References == === Citations === {{Reflist}}

=== Sources === {{refbegin}} * {{CDC}} {{refend}}

== Further reading == * {{cite journal |author = Editorial |title = Reviving the US CDC |journal = The Lancet |volume = 395 |issue = 10236 |page = 1521 |date = May 16, 2020 |doi = 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)31140-5 |pmid = 32416772 |pmc = 7255307 }} * {{cite book | last=Etheridge | first=Elizabeth W. | title=Sentinel for Health: A History of the Centers for Disease Control | publisher=University of California Press | publication-place=Berkeley, CA | date=1992 | isbn=978-0-520-07107-0}} * {{cite book | last1=Meyerson | first1=Beth E. | last2=Martich | first2=Frederick A. | last3=Naehr | first3=Gerald P. | title=Ready to Go: The History and Contributions of U.S. Public Health Advisors | publisher=American Social Health Association | publication-place=Research Triangle Park, NC | date=2008 | isbn=978-0-615-20383-6 | oclc=244483702 }} * {{cite book | last=Stobbe | first=Mike | title=Surgeon General's Warning: How Politics Crippled the Nation's Doctor | publisher=Univ of California Press | publication-place=Berkeley | date=2014 | isbn=978-0-520-27229-3}}

==External links== {{Sister project links|auto=yes}} {{Scholia|organization}} * {{Official website|https://www.cdc.gov}} * [https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention CDC] in the ''Federal Register'' * [https://www.usaspending.gov/federal_account/075-0943 CDC-Wide Activities and Program Support] account on USAspending.gov * [https://www.cdc.gov/media/ CDC Online Newsroom] * [https://phil.cdc.gov/ CDC Public Health Image Library] * [https://www.cdc.gov/gcc/ CDC Global Communications Center] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20080703172216/http://www.labdesignnews.com/LaboratoryDesign/LD0605feat_3.asp CDC Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratory – Atlanta, Georgia] (archived July 3, 2008) * [https://wonder.cdc.gov/ CDC WONDER online databases]. * [https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/83615/cdc_83615_DS1.pdf Vaccine Safety Monitoring Systems and Methods (CDC) a slide deck presented at October 2019 Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) meeting] {{Navboxes|list= {{HHS agencies}} {{Public health}} {{Druid Hills}} {{United States government agencies involved in environmental science}} }} {{Authority control}} {{Portal bar|United States|Medicine}}

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