In a dramatic weekend twist, hundreds of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention employees who were fired late Friday have now been reinstated. The American Federation of Government Employees confirmed that about 700 of the 1,300 laid-off workers were rehired on Saturday after officials admitted the dismissals were the result of a “coding error.”
“The employees who received incorrect notifications were never separated from the agency and have all been notified that they are not subject to the reduction in force,” said Andrew Nixon of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The reinstated group includes staff from key CDC programs such as the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, and the Global Health Center. “It’s pure managerial incompetence,” said Dr. Nirav Shah, the agency’s former deputy director.
Despite the corrections, roughly 600 workers remain laid off as part of the administration’s latest Reduction in Force initiative. Dr. Shah warned the cuts will weaken America’s readiness for future health crises, adding, “These cuts will mean that when the next health crisis comes along, precious time will be lost when we should have been ready.”
