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State and county public‑health officials warn CDC cuts threaten labs, immunizations and disease surveillance
Summary
California Department of Public Health and county officials told an Assembly subcommittee that the CDC’s decision to rescind or withhold supplemental pandemic‑era grants puts roughly $840 million at risk in California, imperils lab sequencing and vaccine systems, and has led to layoffs and terminated contracts in local health departments.
California public‑health officials told a State Assembly Subcommittee 1 on Health hearing that recent federal actions to rescind or withhold pandemic‑era supplemental grants from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would sharply curb the state’s ability to detect, investigate and contain infectious diseases.
Dr. Bridal Pahn, identified in testimony as Director and State Public Health Officer at the California Department of Public Health, said the CDC announced rescissions or terminations that amount nationally to more than $11,400,000,000 and that California’s exposure was “an estimated $840,000,000.” She said the rescinded grants include epidemiologic lab capacity supplements (ELC), immunization and vaccine programs, and health‑disparities grants intended to strengthen surveillance, testing and data modernization.
“We will have minimal ability to detect and track diseases, investigate their source, contain outbreaks, or do any forecasting or projections,” Dr. Pahn told the committee, adding that the grants supported whole‑genome sequencing, lab equipment and data platforms used for outbreak response.
Local impacts described at the hearing included staffing reductions and contract terminations. Dr. Olivia Kasiri, public health officer for Sacramento County, said the county faced roughly $26,800,000 in affected funds; the county expedited program wind‑downs, instructed subcontractors to stop work and released limited‑term positions. Michelle Gibbons, executive director of the County Health Executives Association of California, estimated nearly $300,000,000 for enhanced laboratory capacity funding, about $68,000,000 for immunization and vaccines for children funding, and about $18,000,000 in health‑disparities funding were implicated across jurisdictions.
Los Angeles County, which receives some CDC grants directly rather than through the state, told the committee that more than $45,000,000 in direct CDC grant funds were terminated without notice; Kelly Brooks, speaking for LA County, warned that cuts would eliminate outbreak management services in settings such as jails, shelters and nursing facilities, and would reduce sequencing and testing capacity at the public‑health laboratory.
Panelists emphasized the operational consequences of stopping work midstream: data‑reporting systems such as CalConnect, MyCAvax and other platforms were built or expanded with supplemental funds and require ongoing investment to maintain, they said. CDPH reported the terminations affected support for over 70 state full‑time equivalents and roughly 200 contract staff.
Why it matters: Officials said the funding sustained public‑health workforce, modernized data systems and enabled community‑based vaccination clinics and outreach to underserved communities. Michelle Gibbons said loss of funding would force a return to cumbersome manual processes and would jeopardize progress in addressing health disparities.
Several public‑health advocates and service providers urged the Legislature to protect and replace federal funding where possible and to preserve investments in equity: speakers asked that state funds be used to sustain community partners, immunization outreach and disease‑intervention activities that public health departments had built with federal supplements.
Legal and budget response: The committee chair thanked the California Attorney General’s office for “swift legal action” and noted the state had previously set aside funds to support litigation and other measures. Panelists said uncertainty about whether funds would be clawed back prevented immediate restart of programs even after a temporary restraining order was issued; Sacramento County said terminated contracts are difficult to reinstate and that trust with community partners can be damaged when scheduled clinics are canceled.
Ending
Officials urged rapid state action to protect public‑health infrastructure, preserve workforce capacity and maintain vaccine and lab systems while litigation and federal review proceed.
