The Trump Administration Paused Federal Health Agency Communications — Here's Why That's Dangerous

The move impacts everything from major food recalls to vital public health warnings. Experts explain what that means for you and what scares them.

This week, the Trump administration announced major changes to the Department of Health and Human Services, ordering that all federal health agencies pause external communications until Feb. 1. This includes press releases, health guidance, social media posts and website posts.

While most people probably don’t regularly rush to the HHS Instagram page on a regular basis, this pause actually has big implications and has many experts worried.

There are multiple agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health and more. These organizations routinely put out press releases, reports and social media posts to make sure that the public, medical professionals and public health departments have the latest health information.

Not only does the communications pause make it harder for science and medical professionals to do their jobs, it also keeps crucial health information from the public, said Elisabeth Marnik, a scientist and science communicator based in Maine.

“Now, I know there have been statements that have said that [the agencies] will release critical health updates following some sort of review, but how that review process will look and how long it will take is unclear,” she said. “Will it be just delayed by a few hours, or would it be delayed by a few days? And depending on what that critical health update is, it could make a big difference.”