Temporary Pause in Health Agency Communications

This week, The Washington Post reported on the Trump administration’s temporary pause on external communications for federal health agencies like the FDA, CDC, and NIH. While pauses like this can raise questions, the current guidance points to a review period ending February 1, which aligns with transitions typically seen during a change in administration.

What we Know: 

- What's on Pause: Health advisories, weekly scientific reports (like the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), website updates, and social media posts. It’s not yet clear whether urgent alerts, like outbreak notifications or drug approvals, will be impacted

- Why the Pause: Insiders suggest this is likely a transitional review to help the new leadership assess communication processes. However, if it extends beyond February 1, it could prompt greater concern, particularly for agencies tasked with delivering time-sensitive health information.

Why This Matters: HHS is the largest federal spender in marketing communications, contributing significantly to the $2.4B spent annually in this space. This temporary pause highlights how transitions can briefly disrupt not only public health communications but also the broader marketing and communications ecosystem that supports it.

Context and Perspective: Similar pauses occurred during Trump’s first term, particularly at agencies like the EPA. These reviews were temporary and aimed at aligning communication strategies with new leadership priorities. While the timing and scope of this pause may warrant attention, it’s not unusual for new administrations to recalibrate during transitions. For those of us in public sector marketing, this serves as a reminder to remain agile and focused, ensuring critical information continues to reach its intended audiences, whether through federal agencies or external partners.

You can read the Washington Post article here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/01/21/trump-hhs-cdc-fda-communication-pause/

Let’s see how things evolve in the coming weeks, but for now, it’s likely a routine step in the transition process.