The Trump administration has dissolved the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC), which was instrumental in establishing national infection prevention standards for healthcare facilities. HICPAC’s guidelines, widely adopted by U.S. hospitals, covered essential practices such as handwashing, mask-wearing, and isolating sick patients. Members were informed of the termination on a recent Friday via a CDC letter, effective from March 31, reflecting President Trump’s executive order aimed at reducing the federal workforce.
Concerned by this abrupt termination, four professional societies had previously urged Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to maintain HICPAC amidst broad cuts to federal health agencies. The CDC and HHS did not respond to inquiries from NBC News regarding this decision.
With some of HICPAC’s web pages now archived and no longer updated, committee members express concerns that established guidelines will stagnate, unable to adapt to evolving scientific insights or the challenges posed by drug-resistant organisms. Connie Steed, a committee member, emphasized that without updates, health professionals could be left to navigate complex situations without adequate guidance.
Just before its termination, HICPAC was reportedly nearing the finalization of new guidelines for airborne pathogens. Dr. Anurag Malani highlighted the importance of these updates, echoing that COVID-19 informed essential lessons for infectious disease protocols. Meanwhile, Jane Thomason from National Nurses United criticized the loss of HICPAC, expressing that its dissolution compromises public transparency and potentially jeopardizes safety for patients and healthcare workers. Historically, HICPAC has provided over 540 recommendations since its establishment, with 90% implemented, underscoring the need for consistent infection control practices across the U.S.
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