HHS External Communications Pause Prevents Critical Updates on Current Public Health Threats

The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) is concerned that two weeks have passed since the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a pause on mass communications and public appearances that are not directly related to emergencies or critical to preserving health. With the order remaining in effect until a new HHS secretary is confirmed, this unpredictable timeline prolongs uncertainty for both healthcare professionals and the public, and endangers the nation by hindering our ability to detect and respond to public health threats, such as avian influenza (H5N1). Public health officials and healthcare professionals are reliant on continual coordination from local to federal levels to know whether avian influenza is becoming more of a threat to humans, and the local response to this threat has been compromised by this, the longest and most comprehensive communication ban to date. 

This ban has also halted the publication of CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), a source of timely, evidence-based public health information, and the CDC Health Alert Network (HAN) advisories, which send urgent updates to clinicians and public health officials. Additionally, the pause has disrupted data updates to the CDC website and the release of essential public health data from the National Center for Health Statistics.

The inability to access and share timely public health information endangers all Americans. SHEA urges the Administration to lift the HHS communications pause to continue the flow of scientific information. 

About SHEA 

The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) works to advance the science and practice of healthcare epidemiology and infection prevention. Founded in 1980, SHEA promotes education, research, and advocacy to improve patient care and safety. For more information, visit www.shea-online.org.   

Contact: Lindsay MacMurray, lmacmurray@shea-online.org