APIC Calls for Reinstatement of CDC’s Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) Employees Recently Laid Off

Arlington, VA – February 17, 2025 – The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC)  (APIC) calls for reinstatement of the Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) officers that were recently laid off at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This decision, executed by the Trump administration, is extremely short-sighted and poses a significant threat to public health, especially with multiple epidemics looming both domestically and globally.

On February 15, 2025, the administration announced the termination of approximately 1,300 probationary CDC employees, constituting about 10% of the agency’s workforce. Alarmingly, this reportedly includes all 50 first-year EIS officers, and potentially some second-year officers.

The EIS disease detectives have been on the front-line of epidemic investigation for nearly 75 years.  This program is among the most successful and highly regarded training programs in the federal government.  Having learned along-side top leaders in the field of hands-on epidemiology at home and abroad, these experts have helped us learn to protect people from polio, smallpox, HIV/AIDS, Ebola, SARS, pandemic influenza, and COVID-19 among others.

Beyond pandemic and bioterrorism response, EIS officers play a critical role in controlling infections within healthcare facilities, including hospitals, nursing homes, and ambulatory surgery centers. Their work includes:

• Investigating clusters of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) to determine sources of contamination
• Monitoring antimicrobial resistance trends to prevent the spread of multidrug-resistant pathogens
• Responding to Legionella, C. difficile, and Candida auris outbreaks in healthcare settings
• Providing real-time infection control recommendations to protect patients and healthcare workers

Without these experts, hospitals and healthcare facilities will face greater challenges controlling infectious threats, leading to more HAIs, longer hospital stays, increased antimicrobial resistance, and higher mortality rates – all of which are preventable.

President of APIC, Dr. Carol McLay, DrPH, MPH, RN, CIC FAPIC, FSHEA, expressed profound concern: “The layoffs at CDC’s EIS program are not just numbers on a spreadsheet—they represent frontline experts who track, analyze, and mitigate the spread of deadly diseases. Arbitrarily reducing this workforce amid rising epidemic threats is an unacceptable risk to public health, hamstrings our nation’s pandemic response at a very import time, and places all Americans in harm’s way.”  “America needs to have the best disease detectives in the world and that is what EIS stands for, America at its best.”

Without this structured pipeline of highly trained disease detectives, the U.S. will face a deficit of qualified professionals equipped to manage outbreaks. The expertise required to handle public health crises cannot be developed spontaneously—it demands years of specialized training, which is now at risk.

Despite claims that these layoffs will reduce costs, cutting CDC personnel—especially EIS officers—may ultimately increase healthcare expenses. When infectious disease outbreaks go unchecked, the resulting hospitalizations, emergency responses, and medical interventions place a greater financial burden on the healthcare system. Investing in early detection and prevention is far more cost-effective than dealing with large-scale public health crises.

The expertise of CDC workers and EIS personnel is indispensable in protecting our health security.  Without them, the U.S. and the world are left dangerously unprepared for future pandemics.  APIC urges the immediate reinstatement of the EIS officers.

About APIC

Founded in 1972, the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) is the leading association for infection preventionists and epidemiologists. With more than 15,000 members, APIC advances the science and practice of infection prevention and control. APIC carries out its mission through research, advocacy, and patient safety; education, credentialing, and certification; and fostering development of the infection prevention and control workforce of the future. Together with our members and partners, we are working toward a safer world through the prevention of infection. Join us and learn more at apic.org.

Media contacts: Aaron Cohen, aaroncohenpr@gmail.com, 301-633-6773; Malina Jacobowitz, mjacobowitz@apic.org

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