WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) began implementing widespread staffing reductions on April 1, 2025, under the direction of the Trump administration. The layoffs affect multiple federal health agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stated that the personnel cuts, which will reduce HHS staff from approximately 82,000 to 62,000, are part of an effort to streamline operations and improve government efficiency. He emphasized the need to reduce what he described as a “bloated bureaucracy.”
Key leadership and scientific personnel were among those affected. Peter Stein, director of the FDA’s Office of New Drugs, resigned ahead of a dismissal. Brian King, director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products, and Peter Marks, head of the FDA’s vaccine division, were both removed from their roles. The agency’s former Commissioner, Robert Califf, expressed concern, stating that the FDA has lost significant institutional knowledge essential to drug development and safety.
Employees arriving at federal buildings in Washington, D.C., and Maryland were informed by security that their employment had been terminated. Some were handed printed instructions and contact numbers for retrieving government-issued equipment. Others waited in long lines without clarity on their status.
At the FDA, the press office and departments under the Center for Tobacco Products saw large reductions. Former staff were notified via email and placed on administrative leave, consistent with union requirements for advanced notice. The NIH and CDC also experienced substantial staffing changes. Jeanne Marrazzo, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, was removed and offered a reassignment.
Newly appointed FDA Commissioner Marty Makary and NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya assumed their positions on the same day the reductions took effect. Meanwhile, CDC terminations included personnel from the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases and other critical units, including teams responding to ongoing health concerns such as measles outbreaks.
Some experts raised concerns about the rapid scale of the changes. Former CDC communications director Kevin Griffis, who resigned days earlier, noted that reorganizations of this magnitude typically take months to implement. An HHS spokesperson indicated there would be no further comment beyond the agency’s previous public statements.
