Trump Shuts Down CDC Infection Control Committee: Report

The Trump government has shut down an advisory committee under the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that provided guidance to healthcare facilities to prevent the spread of infections.

The Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) issued national standards for hand-washing, mask-wearing and isolating sick patients that most U.S. hospitals follow.

Four committee members said the CDC delivered the news about Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee's termination to members on Friday. NBC News reported Tuesday, citing four committee members and the CDC's letter notifying the committee about the news.

The HICPAC issued national standards for handwashing, mask-wearing and isolating sick patients that most U.S. hospitals follow.

Trump Axes Critical Health Care Committee

According to the letter reviewed by the outlet, the termination aligns with President Donald Trump's government downsizing strategy. He signed an executive order that directed federal agencies to trim down their workforces.

Committee members said they received the termination letter after a virtual meeting Friday, but in reality, the termination already took effect on March 31.

Dr. Anurag Malani, who joined HICPAC in January, said the committee was nearing the completion of new guidelines for airborne pathogens before the team was terminated.

The official page of the Committee has since been archived as of late Sunday. "This page is archived for historical purposes and is no longer being updated," a pop-up states upon clicking the HICPAC link.

Experts Blast 'Death' of HICPAC

As news of the committee's termination spread, field experts weighed in on the Trump administration's decision to axe a crucial advisory panel.

Epidemiology expert and health economist Dr. Eric Feigl-Ding, called the move "ghastly." He pointed out how important the HICPAC has been for American public health. "The committee is now dead; long live hospital infections," he wrote Sunday.

Days before news broke of the termination notice, MedPage Today reported that "several members" of the committee already received termination letters.

At the time, industry experts expressed concern over the move, including Carol McLay, president of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology. She said dismantling HICPAC would result in "more patients having healthcare-associated infections."

Former HICPAC chair Hilary Babcock said the committee's role "is just really crucial" and losing it would have a significant impact on American healthcare.

Trump has yet to address concerns around his administration's cuts on healthcare panels and workforces. The Trump administration is faced with a lawsuit from Democratic attorneys general across 19 states and Washington, D.C. over culling of federal health-related divisions.

Trump's administration also facing several lawsuits over federal funding cuts, including one from elite Harvard University.