United States: Public communications from the Centers for Disease Control Prevention (CDC) and other federal agencies stand frozen by the Trump administration’s recent mandate which has experts in infectious diseases concerned about California’s potential ability to battle ongoing bird flu cases.
More about the news
Through at least the end of the month, the freeze completely shuts down health update dissemination along with scientific reports and agency website alterations.
According to Dr. Peter Chin-Hong of the University of California’s San Francisco infectious disease department, the order resembles silencing a smoke alarm system.
“Federal data is critical because, first, it’s a fast-moving outbreak.
Second, the outbreak involves multiple states, so knowing what’s happening in one state can only give you part of the picture,” Chin-Hong added, abc10.com reported.
Key federal health agencies like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) operate under these restrictions.
What more are the experts stating?
Dr. Chin-Hong highlighted how states like California could face management challenges because of insufficient coordination across federal agencies and limited resources through the pandemic outbreak.
“California can only do so much because, again, it involves multiple states. There are multiple agencies. We don’t have the resources to handle something this big, and you need federal help for resources, for coordination, and to prevent misinformation,” as he described.
Although the CDC recognizes minimal public risk combined with absent human-to-human spreading evidence, state leaders remain dedicated to public wellness functions, as abc10.com reported.
Furthermore, as per a statement from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH, “While we don’t typically speculate on the potential impacts of a new federal administration, we remain committed to protecting Californians’ access to the critical services and programs they need.”