The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is withdrawing $11.4 billion in COVID-19 response grant funding designated for state and community health departments.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) made a statement on Wednesday confirming the abrupt cuts, CNN reports.
“The COVID-19 pandemic is over, and HHS will no longer waste billions of taxpayer dollars responding to a non-existent pandemic that Americans moved on from years ago. HHS is prioritizing funding projects that will deliver on President Trump’s mandate to address our chronic disease epidemic and Make America Healthy Again,” HHS said.
The CDC plans to start recovering the money over the next 30 days, according to HHS.
The funds were used for a variety of services including COVID-19 testing, vaccinations, and global initiatives across state and local levels, particularly in vulnerable communities most at risk.
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Termination notices were sent to grant recipients this week, according to CNN, with health departments across the country impacted in various ways.
For Texas, the rescinded funding will impact efforts in epidemiology, contact tracing, and lab testing, as well as diabetes education programs in local community centers.
The Minnesota Department of Health said the cuts include $226 million in grants the state planned to use, adding that the abrupt notice further complicates the situation.
“When changes are necessary, the federal government typically gives sufficient notice to plan and pursue other sources of funding to ensure that the work to protect the health of Minnesotans continues uninterrupted and does not put our residents at risk,” said Minnesota Commissioner of Health Dr. Brooke Cunningham, in a statement. “It will take time to figure out all of the impacts of this action, but these cuts are a tremendous loss—made worse by the uncertainty and chaos that our federal partners have introduced into this process. We will continue to assess the situation and communicate impacts as we learn more.”