HHS official halts CDC reports and health communications for Trump team review

Federal health officials have been instructed to temporarily stop any “external communications” to the public, according to two officials with knowledge of the situation.

Nearly all scientific communication coming from federal health agencies — including the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — has been stopped until further notice through multiple directives from the Trump administration.

President Donald Trump’s acting secretary for the Department of Health and Human Services, Dr. Dorothy Fink, instructed heads of all federal health agencies in a memo Tuesday to temporarily stop public messaging, pending a review.

NBC News obtained a copy of the memo, which advises leaders of the CDC, the NIH and the Food and Drug Administration to “refrain from publicly issuing any document” or communication, including regulations and press releases, “until it has been reviewed and approved by a Presidential appointee.”

The memo left wiggle room for the release of communications that could be considered a matter of critical health and safety.

Late Wednesday, the NIH responded in a statement: “HHS has issued a pause on mass communications and public appearances that are not directly related to emergencies or critical to preserving health. “This is a short pause to allow the new team to set up a process for review and prioritization.”

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/hhs-memo-cdc-report-communications-trump-team-rcna188733

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