Trump pauses updates from CDC, FDA & more. Here’s where Kentuckians can find health info
As President Trump has ordered federal health agencies to pause some external communications through Saturday, Feb. 1, residents still have access to some information about respiratory virus transmission as the illnesses spread at a moderate level in Kentucky.
The pause order was delivered Tuesday, CNN reported, and will affect services such as some regular scientific reports, health advisories and website updates from federal health agencies, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institutes of Health and U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Some federal public health website updates are still happening, and CNN reported the Trump administration’s order came with “with little guidance as to what exactly it covered.” The order does require approval from the White House prior to agencies disseminating external communications, Time magazine reports.
As of Friday, The CDC’s H5 Bird Flu: Current Situation webpage was last updated Jan. 17, and reported the multi-state outbreak has led to 67 confirmed total human cases in the U.S. and one death. The disease has affected poultry flocks across the nation, and a New York farm will euthanize more than 100,000 ducks due to a bird flu outbreak at the facility, USA Today reported Wednesday.
At a state level, the Kentucky Department for Public Health provides information to residents about respiratory viruses and other health concerns.
“Team Kentucky is dedicated to protecting the health and safety of people in Kentucky and remains committed to the tracking, monitoring and publishing of data to support such efforts. Kentucky’s respiratory virus data published on www.CoverYourCough.ky.gov and the Immunization Coverage Dashboard are maintained by Team Kentucky and will not be impacted by the pause in communications from federal agencies,” spokesperson Kendra Steele wrote in a Jan. 28 email to the Herald-Leader.
“However, Team Kentucky relies on federally published data to monitor emerging public health threats, pathogens and disease activity across other states and countries. A prolonged pause in communications from the federal government could interfere with Team Kentucky’s ability to keep people safe,” Steele continued.
The Kentucky Department for Public Health reported as of Thursday respiratory illness activity was high in the commonwealth, although activity had decreased for seasonal influenza, COVID and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The CDC’s data was updated more recently than Kentucky’s, indicating the level decreased from high to moderate Friday.
“Emergency department and inpatient encounters for acute respiratory illness are decreasing but remain high,” the Kentucky Department for Public Health’s website read from the Thursday update.
In addition to state-level data from the Kentucky Department for Public Health, the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department collects local health data to share with county residents and the state, interim commissioner of health Dr. Steve Davis wrote in a Thursday email to the Herald-Leader.
Spokesperson Kevin Hall wrote in a Thursday email to the Herald-Leader, “the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department’s mission is ‘helping Lexington be well,’” and we do that through our CARES values: Caring, Accountability, Respect, Equity and Service. We remain fully committed to providing excellent public health care for everyone in Lexington. This includes honest, accurate and timely information to the community about public health topics, issues and concerns.”
Kentucky regulations mandate the local department track “many conditions,” such as pertussis, Hall said in another email, but numbers for flu, RSV, COVID and norovirus are not required to be tracked unless they are part of an outbreak, defined as two or more cases over a certain time frame in a particular location.
The LFCHD will continue to provide updates on outbreaks and “other important public health information” during the federal pause, Hall said.
Kentucky was at a high level for respiratory virus activity from at least Jan. 15 to Jan. 23, according to CDC data. The federal map reports state-level data on the transmission of COVID, flu and RSV, although another highly contagious virus is also spreading throughout the commonwealth.
Norovirus, a stomach bug, is contributing to illnesses in Kentucky this year. Some of its most common symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting, nausea and stomach pain. Public health officials often recommend hand washing, avoiding others when you are sick and cleaning contaminated surfaces to mitigate a variety of viruses.
Where can you find public health information in Kentucky?
Here’s a list of online resources from the CDC, Kentucky Department for Public Health and Lexington-Fayette County Health Department on respiratory viruses and more. Communication from some of these may still be affected by Trump’s pause.
Information about norovirus symptoms, transmission and prevention
Lexington-Fayette County information about communicable diseases
If you are uninsured or underinsured, you can call the LFCHD at 859-288-2483 to schedule flu and COVID vaccines by same-day appointment Monday through Thursday.
The local department encourages insured residents to get vaccinated at pharmacies, such as CVS or Walgreens.
Do you have a question about public health in Kentucky for our service journalism team? We’d like to hear from you. Email ask@herald-leader.com or fill out our Know Your Kentucky form.
This story was originally published January 24, 2025 at 12:29 PM.
