The union that represents Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) employees said in a statement after a deadly shooting on the agency’s Atlanta campus Friday that disinformation about vaccines has put workers safety at risk.
The union wants the Trump administration’s Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to condemn the spread of false information about vaccines and protect employees from future violent threats.
“The deliberate targeting of CDC through this violent act is deeply disturbing, completely unacceptable, and an attack on every public servant,” the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), Local 2883, said in a statement. “[CDC and HHS] leadership is critical in reinforcing public trust and ensuring that accurate, science-based information prevails.”
“Condemnation is necessary to help prevent violence against scientists that may be incited by such disinformation,” the union added.
Authorities have said Patrick Joseph White, who died from a gunshot wound at the scene, carried out the shooting targeting the CDC’s headquarters near Emory University. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that White blamed the COVID-19 vaccine for his mental health ailments.
David Rose, a 33-year-old police officer from DeKalb County, was fatally shot in the attack, which is being investigated by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI).
The CDC, which has faced layoffs and budget cuts under the Trump administration, has been subject to increased anti-vaccine backlash fueled by conspiracy theories. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a prominent vaccine skeptic in the past, recently dismantled an immunization advisory board and reversed various vaccine policies.
“This tragedy was not random and it compounds months of mistreatment, neglect, and vilification that CDC staff have endured,” AFGE, Local 2883, said in its statement.
Kennedy condemned the shooting in a social media post on Saturday but didn’t directly mention vaccines or sentiment against the CDC.
“Public health workers show up every day with purpose — even in moments of grief and uncertainty,” Kennedy wrote. “We honor their service. We stand with them. And we remain united in our mission to protect and improve the health of every American.”
HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon said in a statement to The Hill that Kennedy “has unequivocally condemned the horrific attack and remains fully committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of CDC employees.”
“This is a time to stand in solidarity with our public health workforce, not a moment for the media to exploit a tragedy for political gain,” he added.
Kennedy removed every member of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) in June — a move he said was necessary to restore public faith in vaccines.
“Vaccines have become a divisive issue in American politics, but there is one thing all parties can agree on: The U.S. faces a crisis of public trust,” Kennedy wrote in a piece published in The Wall Street Journal on June 9. “Whether toward health agencies, pharmaceutical companies or vaccines themselves, public confidence is waning.”
