According to the agency, Trump’s CDC leadership is not based on science or free from undue influence

According to the agency, Trump’s CDC leadership is not based on science or free from undue influence

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The review found that some guidelines ‘use less direct language than available evidence supports’, ‘need to be updated to reflect the latest scientific evidence’ and ‘according to the spokesperson the underlying scientific basis for guidance is inconsistent’.

“I am committed to moving the CDC forward with science, transparency and clarity. It is essential that the American people trust the CDC. If they do not, preventable diseases and injuries can occur – and tragically, lives can and will be lost. “Walensky said in a statement to CNN.

‘This agency and its critical health information cannot be vulnerable to undue influence, and this report helps to describe our path to rebuilding trust and ensuring that the information that the CDC shares with the American people is based on sound science that we, our loved ones, will keep, and our communities healthy and safe. ‘

The CDC review was first reported by The Washington Post.
The Trump administration has repeatedly clashed with its own medical advisers over the nature and subsequent public messages of the ongoing pandemic. Dr. Nancy Messonnier, a leading vaccine expert for the CDC, warned in February 2020 that the virus could cause serious disruption to American life, affecting schools and businesses, and urged people to at the same time prepare Trump to reassure the country that the virus would ‘disappear’ and was ‘very well under control’.
The consequences of the clash were strong, and Trump appointments often prevail. Michael Caputo – a close ally of Trump who served as a top official in the Department of Health and Human Services – is accused by critics of politicizing the CDC and the HHS response to the coronavirus pandemic. CNN reported in September that Caputo and his team had demanded to see weekly scientific reports from the CDC before their release, with some HHS communications officials insisting on changing the language of the reports to avoid Trump’s political message do not undermine. In response to that allegation, Caputo criticized the CDC with conspiratorial accusations.
In October, sources told CNN’s Jake Tapper that Messonnier was being told to ‘lie low’ as Trump despised the threat of the coronavirus. The Trump White House suspended CDC briefings on the pandemic in March last year after Messonnier warned of deteriorating distribution and disruptions, which angered the then president.
Walensky writes in the agency’s review of the Trump administration’s leadership that she’s having trouble understanding which lead documents provided important new updates – and she recommended ways in which the agency could do things differently under the Biden government.

Walensky wrote during the review that she ‘found it too difficult’ to determine whether a new document was an important or very minor update of the existing guidelines, and to decipher what the core recommendations were in long documents.

Some documents were also removed or replaced during the review of the CDC’s website. The review refers to the document previously removed as ‘The Importance of Reopening of America’s Schools this Fall’, while the document ‘Overview of Testing for SARS-COV-2’ has been replaced. According to the review, a link to the document “Opening up America Again” was also removed from the website.

Walensky noted in the review that “there was no consistent practice of disclosing the supporting evidence in a scientific assignment along with each major new lead.” But, she added: “We are now committed to offering up-to-date scientific assignments if there is research to inform guidance information.”

Walensky wrote that in the coming weeks the CDC will ‘finalize production and review of the new priority direction’. Walensky set out several recommendations for moving forward, including clarifying what scientific evidence has been used for important new clue documents, as well as planning media conferences when new guidelines are announced, along with several other recommendations.

This story has been updated with additional background information.

CNN’s Stephen Collinson, Maggie Fox and Elizabeth Cohen contributed to this report.

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