A drop in CDC health alerts leaves doctors 'flying blind'
NPR • • health
Key Points:
- The CDC has significantly reduced the frequency of Health Alert Network (HAN) alerts since President Trump took office, issuing only six in 2025 compared to dozens in previous years, raising concerns among public health experts.
- Experts warn that fewer alerts leave healthcare providers less prepared for emerging or re-emerging health threats, impairing situational awareness and response capabilities.
- The CDC has not issued HANs for major recent outbreaks, including a severe flu season, a significant measles outbreak in South Carolina, and whooping cough clusters, prompting criticism of the agency's communication decline.
- Critics attribute the reduction in alerts and other communication efforts to political interference, mass firings, and a shift from scientific to political control within the CDC under the
