Mass layoffs swept through major US health agencies on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, as the Trump administration initiated a sweeping restructuring that will eliminate 10,000 jobs. Led by US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the overhaul aims to streamline the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and its overseen agencies—including the FDA, CDC, and NIH—to prioritize chronic disease prevention over traditional public health mandates.
A Sudden and Disruptive Start
Employees at agencies like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and National Institutes of Health (NIH) received abrupt notifications of their dismissal via email or discovered their access badges deactivated upon arriving at work. Social media posts captured the chaos, with images of stunned workers and testimonials flooding platforms like X.
Restructuring Amid Health Crises
The layoffs, affecting roughly one-eighth of the HHS workforce, come at a precarious time. The US is grappling with its worst measles outbreak in decades—hundreds infected, mostly unvaccinated, with two deaths reported—and rising concerns over a potential bird flu pandemic. Despite these threats, Kennedy has downplayed vaccine importance and controversially suggested letting avian influenza spread unchecked among poultry, alarming health experts.
Former FDA Commissioner Robert Califf warned, “The FDA as we’ve known it is finished, with most of the leaders with institutional knowledge and a deep understanding of product development and safety no longer employed.” Senior officials, including Jeanne Marrazzo, who succeeded Anthony Fauci at an NIH branch, face reassignment to remote outposts like Alaska or Oklahoma.
A New Vision—or a Risky Gamble?
Kennedy defends the cuts, stating, “We aren’t just reducing bureaucratic sprawl. We are realigning the organization with its core mission and our new priorities in reversing the chronic disease epidemic.” The plan slashes the HHS from 82,000 to 62,000 employees, saving $1.8 billion annually—a fraction of its $1.8 trillion budget—and consolidates 28 divisions into 15, including a new Administration for a Healthy America (AHA).
While tackling obesity and food industry regulations aligns with some scientific priorities, Kennedy’s history of vaccine skepticism and misinformation has sparked widespread concern. For more on his controversial stance, see related coverage.