Photo credit: www.cbsnews.com

Trump Administration’s Influence on CDC’s Research Publications

Recent actions by political appointees from the Trump administration have raised concerns about unprecedented control over the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), a leading medical research journal published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), according to multiple federal health officials speaking to CBS News. This interference has involved dictating content and delaying critical studies related to the increasing bird flu outbreak.

The administration’s efforts to assert authority over the MMWR represent a significant departure from the journal’s historical autonomy. Experts have long regarded the MMWR as the “voice of the CDC,” considering it a trusted source of significant public health research. The journal is among the most frequently cited health publications worldwide, underscoring its influence in informing public health policy.

“The MMWR has lost its autonomy,” stated one health official, expressing concern over the recent changes.

Trump administration actions appear to have stalled the publication of three important studies on bird flu, even as the virus spreads across wild birds, poultry farms, and other livestock in the United States. Initially, this delay was attributed to a communications “pause” implemented by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which affected many federal health agency releases.

Representatives from the CDC and HHS have not responded to inquiries regarding these developments. Initially, Trump officials justified the gag order by claiming it was necessary to allow the administration to reorganize its public relations efforts in anticipation of a high volume of communications from federal health agencies.

However, as the communication freeze began to lift, officials at HHS and acting CDC Director Susan Monarez reportedly rejected requests from career health officials to move forward with publishing the completed research, according to sources.

The articles in limbo include significant findings about pet cats belonging to dairy workers who contracted bird flu, along with results from wastewater testing and antibody studies involving veterinarians working with cows. Instead of allowing these studies to be published, Monarez shared directives from the Trump administration to focus on urgent research concerning the health implications of wildfires, closely following President Trump’s public criticism of California’s handling of fire-related crises.

Federal scientists describe the scramble to locate studies on this topic as unexpected, as it diverged from the pre-planned releases. The research that was ultimately disseminated encompassed analyses of hazardous chemical exposure for firefighters responding to the 2023 wildfires in Hawaii, as well as evaluations of emergency room visits in Los Angeles during the fire events.

Investigating Regulatory Constraints

A technical error recently caused a table related to one of the bird flu studies to be published prematurely before officials could retract it. This particular study aimed to investigate how two indoor cats contracted the virus through contact with a dairy worker, who transported unpasteurized milk—a key transmission route for the H5N1 bird flu variant.

Numerous federal health officials and external experts have urged the Trump administration to allow the MMWR to preserve its independence, highlighting the necessity of enabling public health researchers to publish findings devoid of political influence. Historical procedures required that researchers clear their studies through multiple layers of review within the agency, but until now, political appointees generally refrained from interfering in the content of published research.

There are growing fears among health officials that the recent actions set a troubling precedent for future political interference in CDC research communications. Previous attempts by Trump-appointed officials to control the agency’s publication practices came under scrutiny during the COVID-19 pandemic, raising concerns about the integrity of scientific communication.

As for the pending bird flu studies prepared for publication, co-authors outside the agency remain uncertain about their release timeline. “The study is completed and was to be published in MMWR last month until the order from the new administration halted communication from CDC,” K. Fred Gingrich II, executive director of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners, noted via email. The association had collaborated with Ohio’s health department and the CDC to collect blood samples from veterinarians treating cows at a conference to investigate whether undetected bird flu infections had occurred.

“I do not know when it will be allowed to be published,” Gingrich expressed, reflecting the frustration surrounding the current situation.

Source
www.cbsnews.com