Trump Administration Considering Terminating Some CDC Advisory Committees

Politico (3/21, Gardner) reported the Trump Administration is “considering killing some panels of outside experts that advise the CDC on key health threats like HIV and avian flu,” according to an email sent to CDC leaders Friday. The advisory committees “offer the CDC guidance from outside experts on an array of subjects on which the agency makes recommendations.” Friday’s email said CDC leaders would need to justify keeping the committees by 10 p.m., but a follow-up email said that “no response is required at this time.” It is “unclear whether the second email means HHS is no longer planning to terminate the committees right away, or whether HHS will terminate them regardless of the CDC’s response.”