Many users of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website have recently encountered disruptions, ranging from complete outages to altered content and redirected pages. While some functionality has been restored, concerns remain about the integrity and accessibility of vital public health data.
Beginning in early February , reports surfaced of widespread changes to the CDC’s online presence. According to reports, pages, datasets, and specific information were removed as part of modifications to comply with Executive Orders. The CDC’s Atlas Tool, used by policymakers to track infectious disease rates like HIV and STIs, was temporarily unavailable but has since been brought back online. Similarly, pages detailing the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, which monitors adolescent health, were initially inaccessible but are now accessible again. The CDC’s data site, which experienced a weekend outage, is also functioning with datasets available for download.
However, the restoration isn’t without caveats. Researchers are actively comparing archived data with the newly reposted datasets to identify any discrepancies or alterations. Dr. Megan Ranney, Dean of Yale University’s School of Public Health, noted that some pages have been “scrubbed of certain words or categories of people.” As an example, she pointed to changes on CDC webpages that previously used the term “pregnant people” and now exclusively use “pregnant women.” This shift in language, while seemingly minor, highlights a broader concern about potential biases or limitations in the information being presented.
The disruptions extend beyond the CDC. Reports indicate similar issues across other federal health agencies, creating a sense of uncertainty within the scientific community. Dr. Ranney described a widespread effort to “catalogue what is missing and what has changed” in the wake of the data purge. The immediate impact is broken links and missing pages, but the long-term consequences of altered or unavailable data remain unclear.
For users encountering issues, the CDC website currently offers several redirection messages. If a user attempts to access a moved page, they are presented with one of three options: automatic redirection to the new location within 10 seconds, a direct link to the new location, or a message indicating the page has moved to archive.cdc.gov with similar redirection options. The CDC advises users to update any saved bookmarks to reflect these changes.
These website issues are not entirely new. A similar problem was reported in , where users found their Windows page had moved to the right, obscuring the scroll bar. Users attempted to move the screen using the left arrow key, but were unable to fully restore the view. While this issue appears unrelated to the current CDC website problems, it illustrates the ongoing challenges users face with website functionality and accessibility.
The current situation raises important questions about data transparency and the availability of critical public health information. While the restoration of key tools and datasets is a positive step, the need for ongoing monitoring and verification remains paramount. The scientific community and public health leaders will continue to assess the extent of the changes and work to ensure the continued availability of accurate and reliable data.
It’s important to remember that websites are dynamic resources, and changes are sometimes necessary for maintenance or updates. However, in the context of public health, transparency and accessibility are crucial. The CDC’s ongoing efforts to restore and maintain its website are essential for informing public health policy and protecting the health of the population.
