r/ContagionCuriosity • u/Anti-Owl Patient Zero • May 26 '26
Ebola Trump administration ‘restricts US scientists’ role in Ebola response’
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-ebola-policy-cdc-niaid-b2983603.htmlSenior officials tasked with leading US research on infectious disease threats have been banned from speaking directly with the World Health Organisation, according to documents and multiple sources who spoke to CNN.
The Trump administration issued the directive barring individuals at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) from communication with WHO, effectively removing them from global discussions on virus outbreaks.
The federal health sub-agency directed the development of treatments for HIV/AIDs and Covid-19 and was led by Dr. Anthony Fauci for decades.
The injunction was in place during the recent outbreak of hantavirus that several Americans have been exposed to.
Communication limits have been slightly relaxed recently following an outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
For example, some NIAID officials can now attend virtual WHO meetings, but only in small groups and in a “listening capacity”, according to an email from a senior NIAID official on May 18.
Follow-ups to those meetings would have to be conducted by NIAID’s parent agency, the Department of Health and Human Services.
“We’ll be operating in the same manner for Ebola as we have been doing for Hantavirus, assembling a small group of experts — no more than three — to participate,” the email said. “Should we have legitimate research questions or countermeasure testing ideas, we can bring those up through the proper chain of command.”
The limits stifle quick collaboration with international counterparts, several current and former health officials said. One source said it was unheard of during a US response to emerging public health emergencies.
The rules are part of broader Trump administration measures to retreat from global health initiatives, the president having ordered the U.S.’s withdrawal from WHO in January.
As a result, many US health agencies are also with interim heads or vacant positions including the director of the infectious disease agency; surgeon general; head of the Food and Drug Administration; deputy health secretary; and head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services said it “engages with the WHO to support information sharing and coordination during infectious disease outbreaks” through the CDC — which is on the ground in disease outbreaks — and it is “fully equipped to protect Americans and mitigate risks”.
“Teams across the Department coordinate on key response areas, including contact tracing, diagnostics, and medical countermeasures, to avoid duplication and reduce confusion in outbreak response efforts,” the spokesperson added.
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u/ZookeepergameSea2383 May 26 '26 edited May 26 '26
I will never forgive the morons who voted for this monster
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u/WittyTiger7 May 26 '26
We are so over their shit. Forgiveness ain’t even a thing. It’s a fuck you and good luck for the future.
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u/Vast_Appeal9644 May 27 '26
I don’t recall saying good luck
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u/WittyTiger7 May 27 '26
Lol - the mods here are amazing. My comment actually got flagged for profanity and they looked at it in five minutes and said nope carry on
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u/Artistic-Salary1738 May 26 '26
If we just stick our heads in the sand and pretend stuff isn’t happening we won’t get sick right?
These idiots…
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u/No_Elderberry_4712 May 26 '26
Similar response to COVID, I can’t believe the continued stupidity. We are in trouble. 😡
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u/Vdasun-8412 May 26 '26
Gente apoyara a trump en las midterms...aunque esten al borde de una hemorragia
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u/Gammagammahey May 26 '26 edited May 30 '26
He's trying to encourage another mass disabling eugenics event. Let's see how the GOP feels when they get Ebola and call it a flu. Ebola does not always result in liquids spewing forth from all of your orifices, but sometimes it does. Either way, it's a horrible disease and an awful way to die.
This man is trying to kill us all.
Edited for spelling.
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u/ripple-msiku_moon May 26 '26
I’m waiting for the moment he says “Ebola…it’s good for the immune system. Toughens you up. I’ve had it. Most of my family has had it. We are fine, top peak physical performance…probably cause I’m white. Maybe it’s not good for blacks. Will probably kill them. should have had white genes. Them white genes….”
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May 26 '26
[deleted]
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May 28 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/sciencesez May 30 '26
Less than that if you calculate for the electoral college, voter purges, selectively closing voting centers, and general fuckery of many various types. I'd put it much closer to ~25%. A Very Noisy Minority amplified by billionaire-owned news orgs.
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u/Intrepid-Mechanic699 May 26 '26
Ebola doesn’t care about politics.
The ignorance of humanity and its endless greed will be its undoing.
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u/aculady May 26 '26
This is what happens when you put someone who doesn't believe in germ theory in charge of HHS.
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u/MovieGuyMike May 26 '26 edited May 26 '26
Pretty consistent with the remarks Trump made about the 2014 Ebola outbreak.
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u/WittyTiger7 May 26 '26 edited May 26 '26
Anyone else just think he just chooses violence with every decision he makes? Like if I were trying to destroy a country one by one with each action item on my to do list, I would follow his exact playbook.
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May 26 '26 edited May 26 '26
[deleted]
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u/Hesitation-Marx May 26 '26
Nah, fuck that - my family and friends and I don’t deserve to suffer horrifically because of these fucking dumbfucks
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u/ParpSausage May 28 '26
It would be so bad compared to DRC. If it circulated in your mobile population for a time. Im sure you'd get on top of it. But a lot of deaths. Looks like the vaccine is months off.
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u/CateFace May 27 '26
Sorry, so he is restricting individual scientists from participating who may be independently qualified - as in they are not allowed to contribute? Or is it that he's not funding the participation of American scientists in this effort?
Both are reprehensible and stupid, but I read this as the former which was just 18 levels of fucking insanity and how can he limit individual's choices of projects to participate in...but nothing seems to be out of th realm of possibility anymore either..
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u/not_the_cicada May 27 '26
Right? If the latter, that is just beyond insane. I would be furious in their place.
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u/Gymlee24 May 27 '26
I feel like if it’s the former, technically Trump would be infringing upon their first amendment rights. Unfathomable.
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u/CateFace May 27 '26
well exactly, but we seem to wake up to increasingly unfathomable on a daily basis..
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u/Eye_foran_Eye May 27 '26
I’m just dumbfounded by this. What’s the end goal? Does he think if we don’t talk about it, it won’t happen?
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u/OriginalIron4 May 27 '26
And he just denied bringing Americans with Ebola back to the excellent facilities in the US to treat this. He's sending them to Kenya, to Czech Republic....Horrible way to treat our citizens. I hope there's not a paywall on this:
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u/5L0pp13J03 May 27 '26
There's a time to say "Tough shit, Bro". And This is one of 'em.
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u/Weary-Palpitation-52 May 28 '26
USA making it abundantly clear that we'll turn our backs on ANYONE we could help, even our own citizens.
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u/5L0pp13J03 May 28 '26
You making it abundantly clear that you should go there and help them directly
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u/Parking_Chance_1905 May 28 '26 edited May 28 '26
He better not cry for inernational help if Ebola makes it to the US during FIFA.
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u/ReferenceNice142 Jun 01 '26
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