Latest news with #SarahBoim
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Hundreds of laid-off CDC employees can return to work. But some won't be back
Hundreds of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention employees are being allowed to return to work as of Wednesday. A fired CDC employee says she's happy for them, but she feels confused by the whole situation. 'It was always my dream to serve the public,' said Sarah Boim. She told Channel 2's Bryan Mims she worked as a health communications specialist for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for one year before she went on paid administrative leave in February. The government terminated her in May. Boim helped found Fired But Fighting, an organization working to have all CDC employees rehired and to remove Robert F. Kennedy as Health and Human Services secretary. She said she's grateful hundreds of laid-off employees can go back to their jobs at the CDC. 'I'm so happy for them, but I'm also a little confused because the government decided these people were doing critical work,' Boim said. She said these 460-plus employees couldn't do their critical work for more than 70 days. The U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services confirmed that notices went out Wednesday to these 460 or so workers, saying they could return to the CDC. In April, about 2,400 CDC employees were laid off, about 18% of the CDC's staff. RELATED STORIES: Hundreds of laid-off CDC employees are being reinstated Protesters rally outside CDC offices in DeKalb County after advisory committee fired CDC official who oversaw COVID-19 vaccine recommendations has resigned following HHS rollback The Department of Health and Human Services confirms these rehired employees are part of four divisions. They include the National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD and Tuberculosis Prevention. Employees reinstated also include lab scientists who track lead poisoning. 'For every public health position that's lost, lives are at risk. So, multiply that by 2,000 just here at CDC. And you can see that we're really in a dire situation,' Boim said. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Andrew Nixon, Health and Human Services spokesperson, responded with a written statement, saying the nation's critical health functions remain intact. 'HHS is streamlining operations without compromising mission-critical work. Enhancing the health and well-being of all Americans remains our top priority,' the statement said.
Axios
4 days ago
- Health
- Axios
Former, current CDC employees call on RFK Jr. to resign
Current and former employees of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are calling on Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to resign, warning that job cuts and proposed funding reductions will hurt the agency's ability to protect the public from future health outbreaks. Why it matters: The Atlanta-based CDC has long been the unbiased hub Americans turn to for facts about health topics, including sexually transmitted infections, maternal and infant health and respiratory infections. Driving the news: Carrying a large American flag, dozens of current employees at the facility walked out in protest of the cuts and joined people rallying in support of the department. Tuesday's protest attracted more than 100 people who packed the sidewalk along Clifton Road across from the CDC's headquarters. What they're saying: Sarah Boim, a member of Fired But Fighting, a grassroots group of former CDC employees who were terminated this year, told Axios the organization holds rallies each Tuesday in support of people who still work at the agency. "It's really hard to put into words how horrible this experience has been, not just for us, but it's going to really affect everybody in America," she said. Eric Mintz, another former CDC employee, told Axios proposed cuts to the CDC, National Institutes for Health, Food and Drug Administration and Medicaid will take away resources needed to protect people from illnesses. "It's not waste, it's not abuse, it's not fraud," Mintz said. "It's hard-working people with expertise trying to protect the American citizens." Catch up quick: The Health and Human Services Department in March announced about 2,400 positions would be eliminated from the CDC. HHS has said reducing its workforce from 82,000 to 62,000 full-time employees will cut costs from the agency's nearly $2 trillion budget. On Monday, RFK. Jr. removed all 17 members from the expert panel that makes vaccine policy recommendations to the CDC. He said in a statement the agency is "prioritizing the restoration of public trust above any specific pro- or anti-vaccine agenda." Questions are still being raised on who runs the CDC, as there is no public health official or designated point person leading the agency. State of play: Trump's fiscal year 2026 budget also recommends cutting $3.59 billion from the CDC. The budget, which was approved by the U.S. House, is still lingering in the U.S. Senate. Threat level: Anna Yousaf, an infectious diseases doctor at the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, called Kennedy a "domestic health threat" who has dismantled programs ranging from lead poisoning prevention to maternal and infant health monitoring.
