DECATUR, Ga. — Every Tuesday for the past 13 months, a group of more than 30 retirees and former employees of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gather outside the agency’s national headquarters to protest what they describe as the dismantling of the nation’s premier public health institution.
Among the weekly protesters is Dr. Jane Seward, a 20-year veteran and former Branch Chief within the National Immunization Program. “The CDC was the premier public health agency in the world,” Seward told American Community Media in a recent interview. “International delegations from South Korea, Europe, and China would attend our sessions specifically to emulate our vaccine policies and scientific standards.”
“It is simply not acceptable for the CDC to be portrayed as indifferent to public health,” Dr. Seward stated. “We loved working here. Our goal now is to ensure the agency’s integrity is not further eroded by the current administration’s policy shifts.”
Massive Brain Drain
On Feb. 14, 2025, in an action known as the ‘Valentine’s Day Massacre,’ the Trump Administration, led by Elon Musk’s Department of Governmental Efficiency, laid off approximately 1,300 personnel. By the end of 2025, according to data from several news sources, 3,000 employees — almost 1/3 of the CDC workforce — had been laid off, fired, or quit.
Seward specifically criticized the influence of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on current agency directives, alleging that new vaccine recommendations are being drafted by “hand-picked committees” rather than career scientists.
“He is focused exclusively on safety issues and does not balance that against a vaccine’s ability to prevent disease or community-level acceptance,” she added.
‘Anti-Vaccine Zealots
Seward’s concerns echo those of Dr. Richard Besser, CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and former CDC acting director. “It is absolutely heartbreaking to me to say. I worked at the CDC for 13 years with dedicated employees. But I do not recommend looking to the CDC for information around vaccines,” said Besser, at a Feb. 20 American Community Media news briefing. He noted that the current Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is “loaded with anti-vaccine zealots.”
Besser instead urged the public to follow the American Academy of Pediatrics immunization schedule instead.
Dr. Anthony Fiore, a researcher who spent 26 years at the agency, highlighted recent shifts in neonatal care as a primary motivator for his presence at the picket line.
Hep-B
“The ‘RFK CDC’ has removed the recommendation for the Hepatitis B vaccine for newborns,” Fiore told ACoM. “They are attempting to phase out the vaccine entirely, which is devastating. This vaccine prevents liver cancer and cirrhosis; once an infant is infected, there is no cure.”
Other former researchers, speaking on the condition of anonymity for fear of professional reprisal, expressed grave concern regarding the resurgence of preventable diseases in the American South.
“Right now, there is a large-scale measles outbreak in South Carolina, leaving a significant portion of the U.S. population unprotected,” the researcher stated. The individual noted that the breakdown in standardized federal guidance has created a dangerous vacuum for parents and healthcare providers.
Measles outbreaks have also emerged in Texas and Utah.
Political Climate
As the weekly protest concluded, passing vehicles intermittently honked in support. Many supporters were current CDC staff or employees of the neighboring Emory University Hospital.
However, the protesters remain clear-eyed about the political climate.
“In this area, people support the idea of a strong CDC,” Fiore said. “If we held this rally in other parts of the country, the honks might be angry rather than supportive.”
