Officials of Atlanta-based CDC plan for the agency's splintering, but questions remain

People gather for a candlelight vigil in support of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in front of its headquarters in Atlanta, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Gray, File)

A top Centers for Disease Control and Prevention official told staff this week to start planning for the agency’s splintering.

Several parts of CDC — mostly those devoted to health threats that aren’t infectious — are being spun off into the soon-to-be-created Administration for a Healthy America, the agency official told senior leaders in calls and meetings.

The directive came from Dr. Debra Houry, the agency’s chief medical officer, according to three CDC officials who were in attendance. They declined to be identified because they weren’t authorized to talk about the plans and fear being fired if they were identified.