Now, federal health agencies, universities, health systems and the communities we serve are in peril. We must ask ourselves: are we willing to address the power structures that jeopardize public health and produce health inequities?*
tl;dr bullet points -
- The CDC library was fired Friday (source)
- Safeguards for data protection at CDC have been removed (source, read thread)
- Bluesky's verified #AltGov labeler/#AltGov starter pack is helpful alternative communication
I'm not sure any of us can keep up with the rapid pace of changes since Friday night when Trump Administration Lays Off Dozens of C.D.C Officials (gift link), then CDC walks back hundreds of firings as US shutdown persists.
The latter article indicates CDC library firing was not reversed, which aligns with information on Friday from the @AltCDC account on Blusky -
RIFed: Office of Science - CDC Library They have helped SO many of us with their expertise & guidance so we can do efficient & quick research. You don’t need us toiling in Pubmed for days at a time during an outbreak. The library helps us get what we need quickly so we can continue our work.
— Alt CDC (they/them) (@altcdc.altgov.info) October 10, 2025 at 7:01 PM
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This was pinned as a top notice on their account today (Sunday):
⚠️ STATES, LOCALS, TRIBAL NATIONS, TERRITORIES ⚠️ HHS has eliminated EVERY SINGLE SAFEGUARD FOR DATA PROTECTION AT CDC. Giving data to CDC is no longer safe and puts your residents at risk. Unless and until all CDC’s data protections are restored you should consider CDC a bad actor.
— Alt CDC (they/them) (@altcdc.altgov.info) October 12, 2025 at 10:03 AM
Click through to see the thread for specifics, such as a recommendation to keep protected health information (PHI) to local levels and reporting data summaries.
I understand if you are skeptical about an individual account on Blusky serving as a legitimate alternative communication channel for information.
What is not visible via an embed is this verified #altgov badge between the account and message though:
The Verified #AltGov labeler of the #AltGov starter pack (vetted & verified accounts, more about the #AltGov accounts) is one I highly recommend if you are on Blusky. So many dedicated workers from within/adjacent to the federal government are doing their best to keep communicating with the public even as their official communication channels are maligned or terminated, and it's on us to seek out & amplify their message. I really hope I can include a future edit above my tl;dr line here that CDC data safeguards are in place again, but documenting where things are at in this point in time is necessary.
In solidarity with really awesome public health colleagues asking us to address power structures, again I ask: Can we in good faith still promote US government-produced health resources as the "best available information?