Hundreds are being reinstated.
Over 460 former employees of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) received notifications on Wednesday that they are being rehired, according to the union representing them.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) confirmed that reinstatement notices were sent out but shared limited information about the process.
Roughly 2,400 CDC staffers were let go during a sweeping round of layoffs across federal health agencies in early April. Entire divisions were affected, with some programs effectively dismantled—including initiatives focused on smoking cessation, lead poisoning prevention, gun violence research, asthma, air quality, and occupational health. The office responsible for managing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests was also completely closed. Programs targeting infectious diseases such as HIV, hepatitis, and tuberculosis were similarly impacted.
According to HHS, about 200 of those reinstated worked at the CDC’s National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and Tuberculosis Prevention. A CDC staffer, speaking anonymously to the Associated Press, confirmed that employees from a lab specializing in sexually transmitted infection testing are among those returning. An additional 150 reinstated workers reportedly belong to the National Center for Environmental Health, including those involved in lead poisoning research.
The layoffs triggered legal challenges, with courts in some cases blocking agencies from moving forward with terminations.
HHS has not publicly explained how it decided who to lay off or who to bring back. When asked for clarification, the department declined to provide details.
Spokesperson Andrew Nixon stated that the agency is working to streamline its operations while maintaining critical public health responsibilities. “The Trump Administration remains committed to preserving vital services — whether that means protecting coal miners and first responders through NIOSH or supporting disease prevention efforts for conditions like lead poisoning and communicable diseases,” Nixon said.
Despite the reinstatements, some former CDC employees argue that the damage from the mass layoffs is far from being undone. Members of a group called Fired But Fighting, composed of laid-off workers, have organized protests—most recently in rainy conditions outside CDC headquarters in Atlanta—calling for HHS Secretary Kennedy’s resignation.
“Rehiring a few hundred doesn’t make up for the harm already done,” said Abby Tighe, a founding member of the group. “Many essential CDC programs remain dismantled, and that will have serious consequences for public health.”
This isn’t the first time CDC workers were dismissed and later recalled. In February, a previous wave of termination notices led to the rehiring of about 180 employees the following month.
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