On February 17, 2025, the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) issued a strong demand for the reinstatement of Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) officers who were recently laid off at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This policy decision, implemented by the Trump administration, underestimates the vital importance of these officers in ensuring public health safety given the numerous impending local and global epidemics. Furthermore, it dismisses the significant contributions to public health these officers have made by investigating and controlling the spread of diseases from polio to COVID-19.
The dismissal of approximately 1,300 CDC employees, constituting 10% of the agency’s workforce, occurred on February 15, 2025. This layoff, alarmingly, includes the complete cohort of first-year EIS officers and even possibly some second-year officers. The EIS program, known for its stellar track record and excellent training, has been a beacon of epidemic investigation for nearly three quarters of a century.
In the healthcare landscape, EIS officers have played a crucial role in managing infection control in diverse healthcare settings ranging from hospitals and nursing homes to ambulatory surgery centers. The absence of these highly skilled officers will undeniably amplify challenges faced by hospitals and healthcare facilities in controlling infectious threats. This can potentially lead to an increase in healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), extended hospital stays, elevated antimicrobial resistance, and heightened mortality rates.
APIC’s President, Dr. Carol McLay, expressed intense concern, highlighting the significant role these officers play in delivering frontline services to track, analyze, and mitigate the spread of lethal diseases. Dr. McLay emphasized that the reduction of this specialized workforce imposes an unacceptable risk to the health of the public and the nation’s post-epidemic recovery, jeopardizing the safety of all Americans. Laying off these disease detectives could result in an unqualified deficit in managing outbreaks, as this expertise cannot be developed overnight but instead requires extensive training over years.
Arguably, the financial toll on the healthcare system from unchecked infectious disease outbreaks, emergency responses, and medical treatments could potentially surpass the projected cost savings from these layoffs. Thus, the crucial role of CDC employees, especially EIS officers, cannot be overstated as their services help steer our nation clear of impending pandemics. Therefore, an immediate reinstatement of EIS officers is paramount. As the leading association for infection preventionists and epidemiologists with more than 15,000 members, APIC continually strives to advance the science and practice of infection prevention and control.