USA Fear, Firings, and Fallout: Inside RFK Jr’s Tumultuous Reign Over US Health Agencies

[Social Media]

 

Fear, Firings, and Fallout: Inside RFK Jr’s Tumultuous Reign Over US Health Agencies

 

At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, employees now whisper in soundproof rooms and scribble notes in paper notebooks to avoid detection. The fear of being watched is so intense that staff at Building 21 — once a hub of public health work — avoid Zoom calls entirely, terrified they’re being secretly recorded.

 

 

This climate of paranoia and chaos, according to insiders, has emerged under the leadership of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., appointed Health Secretary in February. Since his arrival, more than 10,000 federal health workers — many with decades of experience — have been dismissed. "There is a constant sense that we’re being watched and monitored," said one global health specialist at the CDC. "Doge leadership are located several floors above but they have this omnipotent presence … We’re counted when we swipe our badges into the building." Doge refers to the Department of Government Efficiency, a newly empowered agency enforcing Kennedy’s agenda with unwavering oversight.

 

 

Officials across the CDC, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) describe an administration bent on dismantling America’s health infrastructure in the name of reform. “RFK Jr is a disaster,” said a CDC grant specialist. “He is completely dismantling things to the point where the damage is going to become irreparable.”

 

 

 

Kennedy’s supporters claim his goal is to eliminate inefficiency and restore public trust in health science. “Streamlining outdated programmes, ensuring fiscal discipline and demanding transparency are not attacks on science — they are a defence of it,” said Andrew Nixon, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services. “Secretary Kennedy remains committed to evidence-based leadership that serves the American people.”

 

Yet inside the agencies, many see a different story unfolding. Longstanding research initiatives have been scrapped. Critical vaccine advisory panels have been gutted. Entire departments, such as the CDC’s childhood lead-poisoning prevention programme, have been closed, leaving states like Wisconsin unsupported during crises. Even the Prevention Research Centres, a network of hubs focused on chronic disease in low-income communities, faces termination.

 

“He’s shooting himself in the foot,” said one recently fired CDC staffer. “What this administration is doing, whether it’s RFK, Trump or Doge, is so antithetical to my own values that I can’t work there any more.”

 

Among the most controversial moves was Kennedy’s abrupt firing of all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Dr. Charlotte Moser, one of those dismissed, said vaccines were being “politicised” under Kennedy. “My fear at this moment is for the health of the people of the United States if vaccines become less available,” she said. The decision to remove COVID-19 vaccines from recommendations for pregnant women and children, made without committee consultation, “does not align with the science,” she added.

 

Dr. Yvonne Maldonado, another sacked committee member, echoed those fears. “The firings, disruption and the chaos of Kennedy’s administration are incredibly damaging,” she said. “I can’t think that these downstream impacts are going to be good ones.”

 

Kennedy’s “Generation Gold Standard” — a $500 million initiative to develop vaccines using 1950s-era technology — has further baffled experts. An NIH source called it a “waste of money” and said Kennedy had bypassed traditional scientific review processes. “He’s dropping half a billion dollars on God knows what,” the source said.

 

Inside the FDA, operations have ground down due to staff cuts. Project managers and administrators responsible for food safety inspections have been fired, forcing remaining inspectors to book travel on their personal credit cards — often waiting weeks for reimbursement. “As a result, things are going to slip and people will get sick,” warned an FDA official.

 

Ironically, Kennedy’s Department of Government Efficiency is said to have added more red tape. “It’s the exact opposite of efficiency,” said a CDC grant specialist, citing new bureaucratic requirements for accessing approved funds.

 

Many fired workers are awaiting court rulings on the legality of their dismissals, but few want to return. “There’s been a number of different steps that we could take to potentially get back into the agency and I haven’t taken any of them,” one said.

 

As RFK Jr. presses on with his radical health agenda, confusion reigns. “It’s unclear to me how much RFK is actually in charge versus other Trump appointees, like [OMB director] Russell Vought,” said a CDC programme coordinator. “Kennedy clearly has certain ideas he’s interested in but at this point it seems more about cutting programmes than anything else.”

 

Meanwhile, staff remaining at the CDC brace for what’s next. “There is no plan in place,” said the global health specialist. “This will have real consequences for people both here in America and overseas. It breaks my heart.”

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Times  2025-06-23

 

 

[FlorC]

Finally someone to clean up the mess.

[newbee2022]

24 minutes ago, FlorC said:

Finally someone to clean up the mess.

The mess is still in the White House to be cleaned up.👍

[NedR69]

Vaccine advisory committee????

 

They should have been some of the first to get their RIF notice.

[Card]

Jokers like Kennedy and trump and their cabal of monkeys don't care. They won't suffer when they get sick and depend on life saving remedies developed in the past by the agencies they are now destroying. Only the poor will suffer.

[WDSmart]

Who's surprised at this? ☹️

[harryviking]

6 hours ago, Social Media said:

 

Fear, Firings, and Fallout: Inside RFK Jr’s Tumultuous Reign Over US Health Agencies

 

At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, employees now whisper in soundproof rooms and scribble notes in paper notebooks to avoid detection. The fear of being watched is so intense that staff at Building 21 — once a hub of public health work — avoid Zoom calls entirely, terrified they’re being secretly recorded.

 

 

This climate of paranoia and chaos, according to insiders, has emerged under the leadership of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., appointed Health Secretary in February. Since his arrival, more than 10,000 federal health workers — many with decades of experience — have been dismissed. "There is a constant sense that we’re being watched and monitored," said one global health specialist at the CDC. "Doge leadership are located several floors above but they have this omnipotent presence … We’re counted when we swipe our badges into the building." Doge refers to the Department of Government Efficiency, a newly empowered agency enforcing Kennedy’s agenda with unwavering oversight.

 

 

Officials across the CDC, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) describe an administration bent on dismantling America’s health infrastructure in the name of reform. “RFK Jr is a disaster,” said a CDC grant specialist. “He is completely dismantling things to the point where the damage is going to become irreparable.”

 

 

 

Kennedy’s supporters claim his goal is to eliminate inefficiency and restore public trust in health science. “Streamlining outdated programmes, ensuring fiscal discipline and demanding transparency are not attacks on science — they are a defence of it,” said Andrew Nixon, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services. “Secretary Kennedy remains committed to evidence-based leadership that serves the American people.”

 

Yet inside the agencies, many see a different story unfolding. Longstanding research initiatives have been scrapped. Critical vaccine advisory panels have been gutted. Entire departments, such as the CDC’s childhood lead-poisoning prevention programme, have been closed, leaving states like Wisconsin unsupported during crises. Even the Prevention Research Centres, a network of hubs focused on chronic disease in low-income communities, faces termination.

 

“He’s shooting himself in the foot,” said one recently fired CDC staffer. “What this administration is doing, whether it’s RFK, Trump or Doge, is so antithetical to my own values that I can’t work there any more.”

 

Among the most controversial moves was Kennedy’s abrupt firing of all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Dr. Charlotte Moser, one of those dismissed, said vaccines were being “politicised” under Kennedy. “My fear at this moment is for the health of the people of the United States if vaccines become less available,” she said. The decision to remove COVID-19 vaccines from recommendations for pregnant women and children, made without committee consultation, “does not align with the science,” she added.

 

Dr. Yvonne Maldonado, another sacked committee member, echoed those fears. “The firings, disruption and the chaos of Kennedy’s administration are incredibly damaging,” she said. “I can’t think that these downstream impacts are going to be good ones.”

 

Kennedy’s “Generation Gold Standard” — a $500 million initiative to develop vaccines using 1950s-era technology — has further baffled experts. An NIH source called it a “waste of money” and said Kennedy had bypassed traditional scientific review processes. “He’s dropping half a billion dollars on God knows what,” the source said.

 

Inside the FDA, operations have ground down due to staff cuts. Project managers and administrators responsible for food safety inspections have been fired, forcing remaining inspectors to book travel on their personal credit cards — often waiting weeks for reimbursement. “As a result, things are going to slip and people will get sick,” warned an FDA official.

 

Ironically, Kennedy’s Department of Government Efficiency is said to have added more red tape. “It’s the exact opposite of efficiency,” said a CDC grant specialist, citing new bureaucratic requirements for accessing approved funds.

 

Many fired workers are awaiting court rulings on the legality of their dismissals, but few want to return. “There’s been a number of different steps that we could take to potentially get back into the agency and I haven’t taken any of them,” one said.

 

As RFK Jr. presses on with his radical health agenda, confusion reigns. “It’s unclear to me how much RFK is actually in charge versus other Trump appointees, like [OMB director] Russell Vought,” said a CDC programme coordinator. “Kennedy clearly has certain ideas he’s interested in but at this point it seems more about cutting programmes than anything else.”

 

Meanwhile, staff remaining at the CDC brace for what’s next. “There is no plan in place,” said the global health specialist. “This will have real consequences for people both here in America and overseas. It breaks my heart.”

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Times  2025-06-23

 

 

The Yellow insane clown has really magaged to collect the worst ever people to be his administration! Poor America and the world. We might all suffer due to this moron.

[stevenl]

6 hours ago, Social Media said:

There is no plan in place

That's the common thing in the Trump administration. No plan, do something on a whim and see how things go.

I agree with Kennedy's opposition to junk food and his wish to get everyone eat healthy. but disagree with his other opinions. But how much can he do?

[frank83628]

Another load of absolute BULL.

 

'Insiders say' so once again, anonymous sources, so notHong can be verified, just another in the long line of left wing Democrat backing outlet hit pieces for  the sheep to bleat over

[RocketDog]

1 hour ago, frank83628 said:

Another load of absolute BULL.

 

'Insiders say' so once again, anonymous sources, so notHong can be verified, just another in the long line of left wing Democrat backing outlet hit pieces for  the sheep to bleat over

Be honest. 

Even if valid sources would be named you would never accept the truth.

 

[madone]

4 hours ago, FlorC said:

Finally someone to clean up the mess.

Not sure about that, last I checked the map the US was still there.

More like smearing the mess around like a <deleted> stain on a white carpet 

[frank83628]

51 minutes ago, RocketDog said:

Be honest. 

Even if valid sources would be named you would never accept the truth.

 

At least if there were named people you could verify if they were credible or not