Shutdown leaves gaps in states' health data, possibly endangering lives
As the federal shutdown continues, states have been forced to fall back on their own resources to spot disease outbreaks — just as respiratory illness season begins.
The shutdown has halted dashboards and expert analysis from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which monitors indicators such as wastewater to provide early warnings of the spread of COVID-19, influenza, RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) and other infectious diseases.
The pause leaves states with less early warning on disease outbreaks, potentially endangering lives even as child vaccination rates drop amid increased exemptions and hesitancy fed by misinformation. State and local officials can combat outbreaks with targeted advice to get vaccinated and stay home when sick, but they need to know where to do that first. And residents won’t know to take precautions if they’re unaware when many in their community are falling ill.
Wastewater is particularly crucial to finding outbreaks before people start seeking treatment, said Dr. John T. Brooks, a former chief medical officer for CDC’s Emergency COVID-19 Response who retired last year.
https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/10/20/repub/shutdown-leaves-gaps-in-states-health-data-possibly-endangering-lives/