More than 750 employees of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services have called on Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to ensure protections for federal health care workers, according to a letter released Wednesday, following a shooting incident earlier this month at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Signatories, including former CDC leaders like Anne Schuchat, a former deputy director, called on the agency to strengthen its crisis response and improve its alert system by Sept. 2.
Additionally, the letter's authors urge the removal of public online attacks on government employees, including so-called “DEI watchlists” that expose the personal information of CDC workers.
“The deliberate undermining of trust in public health professionals threatens lives. We call on you to act for the good of citizens – your loved ones, colleagues and you personally,” the text emphasizes, specifying that the signatures were collected privately.
CDC doctor Anna Yusuf, speaking on her own behalf, told Reuters that about 400 of the signatories were current employees, many of whom preferred to remain anonymous for fear of reprisal.
Recall that, according to investigators in Georgia, on August 8, a gunman fired about 200 bullets at the CDC buildings in Atlanta, killing officer David Rose, after which the attacker committed suicide. Writings criticizing COVID-19 vaccines were found in his home.
In response to the incident, the CDC has stepped up its security measures, moving employees to work remotely this week and removing agency insignia from vehicles.
After the shooting, Kennedy wrote on Platform X that “no one should be subjected to violence while doing their job of protecting public health.”
The letter, released Wednesday and endorsed by officials at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and elsewhere in the department, called on the secretary to publicly refute false claims about vaccines and infections and to reaffirm the CDC's commitment to scientific integrity.
The document accuses Kennedy of weakening the health care system by discrediting CDC experts, firing critical staff and manipulating data to create a false link between childhood vaccines and autism.
Known for his doubts about vaccine safety, Kennedy has led a review of regulatory approaches to drugs, food, and vaccinations since taking office, including disbanding the CDC’s entire 17-member vaccine advisory board last June.
According to an accompanying press release, copies of the letter were sent to Congress and the White House administration.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
