The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) participated in a World Health Organization (WHO) flu vaccine meeting this week, seemingly bypassing President Donald Trump’s executive orders banning communication with the global health body.
The move, confirmed on Wednesday, has fueled debate over the administration’s push to exit the WHO and its implications for international health cooperation.
The weeklong conference, which kicked off Monday at the Francis Crick Institute in London, saw CDC and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials join virtually to analyze global flu data and shape vaccine recommendations for the Northern Hemisphere’s upcoming season.
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Neither agency flagged their attendance beforehand, though they “will be actively participating.” Notably, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the White House greenlit the move, despite Trump’s directives.
Trump’s beef with the WHO dates back to his first term, when he announced a U.S. withdrawal in May 2020, blasting the agency’s COVID-19 response and ties to China. Executive orders in July followed, barring federal health agencies like the CDC from engaging with the WHO as the exit process began—a process requiring congressional approval, a one-year notice, and cleared dues. Yet, this week’s meeting suggests a pragmatic carveout, even as the administration doubles down on its “America First” stance.
The WHO’s biannual flu consultations aren’t small potatoes. Experts pore over global virus trends—like the H5N1 bird flu simmering in U.S. poultry—to guide vaccine makers and regulators. Health pros worried a U.S. no-show could weaken next winter’s shots, given the CDC’s heavyweight role in infectious disease research. “The collaboration between the CDC and WHO is essential for global health security,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, NIAID director, underscoring the stakes.
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The CDC’s presence hints the administration sees the risk, too. With nearly 30 staff embedded at WHO and millions in annual funding, the agency’s expertise is tough to sideline. Still, the quiet sign-off from HHS and the White House has critics crying foul—did the CDC skirt Trump’s orders, or is this a sanctioned loophole?
Back home, the CDC and FDA’s involvement in London keeps U.S. flu prep on track, but it’s a tightrope walk. The administration’s gag order on public communications through month’s end muddied whether scientists could join the WHO huddle—raising fears the FDA might lack data to steer vaccine suppliers. This week’s attendance eases that worry, but the bigger exit looms large.
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Withdrawing from WHO isn’t a light switch—it’s a slog through Congress and a year-long countdown. Until then, the CDC’s virtual handshake with WHO signals a grudging nod to interdependence, even as Trump’s team eyes the door. Critics see hypocrisy; supporters might call it realism.
Either way, the U.S.’s global health role hangs in flux—caught between isolationist flexes and the messy truth that viruses don’t respect borders. For now, the CDC’s Zooming into London, but the clock’s ticking on how long that lifeline lasts.
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