Leading Physician Organizations Say Turmoil at the CDC Puts Lives at Risk
WASHINGTON September 3, 2025— Our organizations believe that the turmoil that occurred at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) last week will have harmful consequences for the health of the American public. The firing of Director Monarez and the resignation of multiple senior officials are alarming, threatening our nation’s public health infrastructure. Leadership and oversight from Congress are needed now to ensure that our nation’s public health is protected.
As physicians, we are extremely worried that this latest action takes place at the critical start of the flu and respiratory illness season, at a time when we should be increasing access to vaccines and encouraging their use. Instead, we receive confusing, often contradictory recommendations that are counter to the best-available evidence regarding vaccine use and infection mitigation that are already leading to additional restrictions on access. The consequences of this confusion will be harmful to the well-being of our patients. We are deeply concerned that this portends future attempts to impose restrictions on vaccines and other public health measures supported by sound scientific evidence.
Adding preventable stress to our already overburdened health care system, which has little to no capacity to absorb additional emergency department, outpatient, inpatient, and intensive care unit capacity is unacceptable. We need the CDC and other federal public health agencies to make decisions based on the best-available scientific evidence, guided by qualified experts in these fields and supported by the resources they need. We need strong congressional oversight to enable these agencies to correct course and ensure they can protect the health of Americans.
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About American Academy of Family Physicians
Founded in 1947, the AAFP represents 128,300 physicians and medical students nationwide. It is the largest medical society devoted solely to primary care. Family physicians conduct approximately one in five office visits — that’s 192 million visits annually or 48 percent more than the next most visited medical specialty. Today, family physicians provide more care for America’s underserved and rural populations than any other medical specialty. Family medicine’s cornerstone is an ongoing, personal patient-physician relationship focused on integrated care. To learn more about the specialty of family medicine and the AAFP's positions on issues and clinical care, visit www.aafp.org. For information about health care, health conditions and wellness, please visit the AAFP’s consumer website, www.familydoctor.org.
About the American Academy of Pediatrics
The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.
About the American College of Emergency Physicians
The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) is the national medical society representing emergency medicine. Through continuing education, research, public education, and advocacy, ACEP advances emergency care on behalf of its 40,000 emergency physician members, and the more than 150 million people they treat on an annual basis. For more information, visit www.acep.org and www.emergencyphysicians.org.
About the American College of Physicians
The American College of Physicians is the largest medical specialty organization in the United States with members in more than 172 countries worldwide. ACP membership includes 162,000 internal medicine physicians, related subspecialists, and medical students. Internal medicine physicians are specialists who apply scientific knowledge and clinical expertise to the diagnosis, treatment, and compassionate care of adults across the spectrum from health to complex illness. Follow ACP on X, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and LinkedIn.
About the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) is the nation’s leading group of physicians providing evidence-based obstetric and gynecologic care. As a private, voluntary, nonprofit membership organization of more than 60,000 members, ACOG strongly advocates for equitable, exceptional, and respectful care for all women and people in need of obstetric and gynecologic care; maintains the highest standards of clinical practice and continuing education of its members; promotes patient education; and increases awareness among its members and the public of the changing issues facing patients and their families and communities. acog.org
About the American Osteopathic Association
The American Osteopathic Association (AOA) represents more than 197,000 osteopathic physicians (DOs) and osteopathic medical students; promotes public health; encourages scientific research; and serves as the primary certifying body for DOs. To learn more about Dos and the osteopathic philosophy of medicine, visit www.osteopathic.org.
About the American Psychiatric Association
The American Psychiatric Association, founded in 1844, is the oldest medical association in the country. The APA is also the largest psychiatric association in the world with more than 38,900 physician members specializing in the diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and research of mental illnesses. APA’s vision is to ensure access to quality psychiatric diagnosis and treatment. For more information, please visit www.psychiatry.org.
About the Society of General Internal Medicine
SGIM is a member-based medical association of more than 3,200 of the country’s leading general internal medicine physicians, who are dedicated to delivering high-quality clinical care for adults of all ages, especially those with multiple chronic diseases who would benefit from having a physician to coordinate a comprehensive approach to their care. Our members are committed to ensuring patients have equitable and affordable access to the highest quality of care possible.
Contact: Jacquelyn Blaser, (202) 261-4572, jblaser@acponline.org