CDC

The biggest questions are whether people can still choose to receive the vaccine even if it's not recommended for them and whether insurance will cover the cost.

Fatalities among children were high again for a second year in Florida, while national numbers were the highest since the swine flu pandemic during the 2009-10 season.

One thing experts agree on: The damage from the funding cuts will be varied and immense.

Experts say several things could be driving the decline. They include increased availability of the overdose-reversing drug naloxone, expanded addiction treatment and shifts in how people use drugs.

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. adds that he’s assembling a task force on fluoridation. Also, the EPA says it is reviewing “new scientific information” on potential health risks of fluoride in drinking water.

Lori Freeman, CEO of the National Association of County & City Health Officials, said much of the funding was set to end soon anyway.

Susan Monarez has been serving as the CDC’s acting director since January. The 50-year-old came from an outside federal agency, the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health.

Most of the 80,000 workers responsible for researching diseases, inspecting food and administering Medicare and Medicaid under Health and Human Services were emailed the separation deal.

A memo to senior leaders at the agency tells them that all staff who work with the World Health Organization must immediately end collaborations and “await further guidance.”

In an abundance of caution, the CDC last week advised hospitals and labs to do faster flu testing to help identify possible bird flu cases hiding in the flock of rising flu diagnoses.