CDC Halts Measles Support in Texas Due to Staff Layoffs

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has halted its plans to assist Texas schools in mitigating measles outbreaks after staff involved in the agency's response were notified of potential layoffs. Initially, the CDC aimed to broaden a service it was providing to Texas hospitals, which included on-site evaluations of ventilation and air filtration systems that may be facilitating the spread of the measles virus.

Dylan Neu, a biomedical engineer with the CDC's National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), mentioned that being physically present in facilities allowed their team to thoroughly assess the HVAC systems and identify any faults. He noted some shocking findings during inspections at hospitals treating measles patients, such as improper pressurization in isolation rooms and air filters left in their packaging instead of being installed correctly.

Neu, despite currently remaining employed, received notice on April 1 indicating his impending layoff as part of budgetary alignments within the Department of Health and Human Services. As he concluded his deployment in Texas, he expressed concerns about the impact on the CDC's ongoing efforts, especially in light of staff reductions that have affected various ongoing projects, including the measles response.

The CDC's plans to continue providing ventilation assessments to Texas were scrapped as the likelihood of losing essential personnel loomed. The impact of layoffs extends beyond Neu and his team, with reports indicating that other staff assigned to managing the measles outbreak had also been let go. Consequently, CDC officials have expressed challenges in securing the necessary resources to support Texas, as the agency attempts to handle ongoing outbreaks in multiple states.