Conflicting, scant CDC communications are leading to public health confusion

The trend: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has lagged on delivering clear and coordinated messaging in recent weeks, creating confusion among consumers, physicians, and drugmakers. 

What’s driving it: The confusion is a result of leadership voids, budget and staffing cuts, and the new HHS' preference for non-traditional communications.

• In March, President Trump withdrew his nomination of former Florida congressman David Weldon to head the CDC hours before his hearing was set to begin. He then nominated acting director Susan Monarez to the post. However, a nominee can’t serve as acting director. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently said the CDC acting director is lawyer and agency chief of staff Matthew Buzzelli.
• Public health directives and warnings from the CDC have slowed or even stopped, per NPR’s recent reporting. No health alerts about disease outbreaks that go to healthcare workers who subscribe to the CDC's health alerts have been sent since March. 
• CDC’s social media channels are now under HHS oversight, and many have gone more than a month without posting new content, per NPR.

Yes, and: Kennedy publicly complained in March about too many HHS communications offices, citing more than 100, and proposed merging multiple offices into the new Administration for a Healthy America agency. Around the same time, CDC made sweeping cuts to communications, media relations, and social media staff in late March, per STAT. 

Why it matters: Clear communications about disease outbreaks and public health recommendations not only guide consumer and healthcare professional decisions, but also direct pharma company planning for vaccines and treatments, and health insurer coverage determinations. 

• In May, Kennedy posted a social media video telling Americans that the CDC would no longer recommend the COVID-19 shot for healthy children and pregnant women. Days later, guidance posted on the CDC website seemed to contradict Kennedy by leaving the vaccine on the children’s immunization schedule, per Politico.
• Kennedy paused some CDC vaccine ad campaigns in February, including one that encouraged flu vaccination among high-risk groups.