Former CDC chief blames Trump-era health cuts for rising disease outbreaks

In an interview, former CDC chief medical officer Debra Houry warned that the United States is reaching a critical juncture as cases of measles, whooping cough and cyclosporiasis climb. She resigned from the agency a year ago, citing political interference and the leadership of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an anti-vaccine activist who presided over billions of dollars in public-health budget reductions during the second Trump administration.

Houry contended that robust public-health programs often go unnoticed until they are dismantled, at which point the fallout appears as disease outbreaks. She emphasized that the current spikes in vaccine-preventable and food-borne illnesses are direct outcomes of those funding cuts. The former official called for renewed investment in public-health infrastructure to prevent further escalation.