SHEA Stresses Need for Increased Funding for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Recent media reports indicate that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has temporarily paused testing for rabies and certain pox viruses underscoring SHEA’s growing concerns about the nation’s public health surveillance and workforce capacity. Years of underfunding have already limited the reach of CDC’s most effective prevention programs, leaving gaps in protection for states and communities. More recently, reductions in force at CDC have raised serious concerns about the nation’s ability to detect and respond rapidly to a public health emergency should one arise.

Serving as the backbone of efforts to prevent healthcare-associated infections and combat antimicrobial resistance, CDC supports critical surveillance, outbreak response, and prevention activities nationwide, for which testing for diseases is a core component. CDC has unique expertise in testing for many infectious diseases (e.g., high consequence pathogens such as Ebola, Lassa and Marburg), emerging diseases (e.g., H5N1 influenza), and rare diseases such as rabies that state health departments cannot undertake. Which is why FCDC’s work depends on strong partnerships with state, tribal, local, and territorial health departments, as well as academic and public health organizations to address prevention and require funding to ensure consistency and continuity.

These media reports further emphasize the need for Congress to provide at least $11.581 billion in FY 2027 appropriations for CDC and to ensure timely, stable, and accountable distribution of resources while maintaining the agency’s workforce and core programs. Sustained and increased investment in CDC is essential to protect the health and safety of communities across the United States and to ensure readiness for current and future public health threats.