Trump starts to take aim at federal health jobs

17 February 2025

New US President Donald Trump has started to cut jobs at federal health agencies.

With the newly-confirmed Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F Kennedy Jr in place, the administration on Friday began firing probationary workers.

According to the Associated Press (AP), close to 1,300 probationary workers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), who have been in their roles for less than two years, will be let go. This amounts to around a tenth of the CDC’s total workforce.

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