DPH warns federal cuts threaten core public‑health work; administration seeks adult vaccine trust fund and local public‑health investments

Department of Public Health Commissioner Margret Goldstein told the Joint Committee on Ways and Means that the department’s work is heavily supported by federal grants and that recent federal actions could be ‘‘devastating’’ to public‑health infrastructure.

Goldstein said DPH receives roughly $700 million a year in federal funding that supports immunizations, harm reduction, emergency preparedness and other programs, and she described the recent federal personnel and grant changes as immediate threats. "These cuts are real, our programs are at great risk, people's lives will be affected, people's jobs already are," Goldstein told the committee.

Vaccine infrastructure and adult vaccine trust: Goldstein and other DPH witnesses described steps the state is pursuing to protect vaccination capacity if federal support weakens. The governor’s proposal includes establishing a Universal Adult Vaccine Trust Fund to allow Massachusetts to purchase adult vaccines and retain greater control of distribution and recommendations. Goldstein said the move would give the state more control over adult vaccine supply and guidance if federal immunization infrastructure is eroded.

Public health lab and federal grant litigation: The DPH commissioner said federal actions had targeted Centers for Disease Control grant programs used to equip and operate state public health labs. She noted that the administration’s recent legal response (Attorney General filings) and a temporary restraining order have preserved some funding flows for now, but warned the situation remains uncertain and could affect equipment purchases and other lab needs tied to renovation projects.

Local public health support and data infrastructure: Goldstein outlined that the state provides about $9 million in core line‑item funding for local public health and an additional roughly $50 million a year to local boards through federal grants (for example, ARPA/EPIC funds and CDC program dollars). She said DPH is using federal ARPA money to build a statewide local public‑health data infrastructure (estimated near $100 million) to modernize reporting and help local health departments move off paper and fax systems.

Substance use and injury prevention: Goldstein also described shifts in BSAS and other injury prevention funding, noting the federal Injury Center at CDC had been dismantled in recent federal actions and that this complicates community violence prevention and injury‑prevention work that DPH funds and coordinates.

Bottom line: DPH urged the Legislature to consider state investments to make up for shrinking federal infrastructure and to support vaccination capacity, labs and local public health modernization as federal programs and staff are shifted or cut.