Latest news with #USPHS
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
CDC cruise inspectors stretched thin as layoffs hit outbreak watchdogs
While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said cruise ship inspections will continue amid government layoffs, an official said the task will be more challenging for remaining workers. The agency's Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) was among the initiatives impacted by recent staffing cuts at the Department of Health and Human Services. 'It really compromises everything and makes it difficult for them to travel globally and do those inspections in Europe or wherever it might be,' said Erik Svendsen, the Director of the Division of Environmental Health Science and Practice at the CDC's National Center for Environmental Health. CDC says cruise ship cleanliness checks aren't going anywhere, even after mass layoffs On April 1, Svendsen was placed on administrative leave until early June, at which point he will be terminated. VSP is in his division. The news comes after a recent string of gastrointestinal illness outbreaks. Twelve of those met the agency's threshold for public notification so far this year. Most were caused by norovirus. The CDC logged 18 gastrointestinal outbreaks on cruise ships in all of 2024 and 14 the year before. A CDC spokesperson told USA TODAY last week that cruise ship inspections would continue amid the staffing cuts. 'This work has not stopped, as the VSP is primarily staffed by USPHS commissioned officers who were not subject to the reduction in force," the spokesperson said in an emailed statement. However, according to Svendsen, support staff at the VSP were part of the force reduction. CBS News previously reported on the cuts. While USPHS officers boarded the ships and handled in-person aspects of the inspection process, civilian employees were 'helping to support that mission with all of the logistics (and) administration,' according to Svendsen. The leader of the outbreak response team was among the latter category, he added. The CDC did not immediately respond to an additional request for comment. Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the industry's leading trade organization, said its members continue to follow guidelines set out by the VSP as a condition of their membership. 'Our current understanding from the CDC is that the Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP), which is voluntary and funded by the cruise industry, will continue to operate,' CLIA told USA TODAY in an emailed statement. 'Additionally public reports have noted that the program is administered and staffed primarily by commissioned US Public Health officers, so we expect programmatic activities to continue in some capacity.' HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said earlier this month that some programs and personnel were mistakenly cut and would be reinstated. However, Svendsen said he hasn't received any updates on his role or VSP. The program 'helps the cruise industry prevent and control public health issues,' according to the CDC's website. That includes inspecting ships' dining rooms, galleys, potable water systems, swimming pools, whirlpools, child activity centers and more; investigating outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness; and reviewing ship designs. 'They're essentially a public health department for the cruise ship industry,' said Svendsen. While VSP inspects ships in U.S. ports, there are similar programs in other countries. VSP inspects vessels twice a year. 'If a ship sails outside of the United States for an extended period, it may not be inspected twice a year, but it will be inspected again when it returns to the United States,' the CDC's website said. According to the current fee schedule, the ships' owners pay fees for inspections and reinspections, ranging from about $8,000 to nearly $65,000, depending on the vessel's size. Cruise ship inspection reports are publicly accessible online. Svendsen noted that the remaining officers working at VSP are 'committed to the mission.' 'They're public health soldiers, and they will find a way, even if they have to sacrifice and do extra work, they'll get it done,' he said. Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cruise ship sanitation inspections hit by government cuts
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
CDC continuing cruise ship inspections despite staffing cuts
April 16 (UPI) -- The federal government's Vessel Sanitation Program continues its health inspections of cruise ships despite recent staff reductions at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "This work has not stopped as the VSP is primarily staffed by [U.S. Public Health Service officers]," a CDC spokesperson told Food Safety News. Those commissioned officers were not among those who were released from the CDC amid the Trump administration's reduction of the federal workforce. The inspections are being carried out by half the number of inspectors, though, Food Safety News reported on Wednesday. The USPHS has a dozen inspectors to conduct safety inspections of cruise ships while they are docked at U.S. ports, which is down from 24 inspectors. Cruise ship firms fund the CDC's Vessel Sanitation Program through fees charged to their passengers and no taxpayer dollars pay for the service. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. recently announced he would fire 10,000 of the agency's staff, and the CDC has released 2,400 people. The staffing reductions caused some media outlets to incorrectly report the Vessel Sanitation Program had been eliminated, but the reductions do make the work more challenging. "It really compromises everything and makes it difficult for them to travel globally and do those inspections in Europe or wherever it might be," Erik Svendsen, director of the CDC's Division of Environmental Health, Science and Practice, told USA Today. Svendsen is among CDC staffers who are on administrative leave until June and will not be employed afterward. He said USPHS officers board cruise ships to complete the health inspections that help ensure the vessels are safe for passengers. Officials for the Cruise Lines International Association trade organization said its members are continuing to follow established safety guidelines as required by the Vessel Sanitation Program. "Our current understanding from the CDC is that the Vessel Sanitation Program, which is voluntary and funded by the cruise industry, will continue to operate," CLIA officials told USA Today in a prepared statement. "Additionally, public reports have noted that the program is administered and staffed primarily by commissioned U.S. Public Health officers, so we expect some programmatic activities to continue in some capacity," the statement said. The CDC says about 12.5 million passengers embarked from ports in North America in 2022 and face an elevated risk of contagious diseases. "Traveling on cruise ships exposes people to new environments and high volumes of people, including other travelers," the CDC says. "This exposure can create the risk for illness from contaminated food or water or, more commonly, through person-to-person contact."
