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"Even if EIS was spared, there are multiple other fellowships that were not, and that's a pipeline for the next generation of CDC leaders," the senior official said. "We're being cut off at the knees. It is going to cripple public health for decades."

An evolving story...

DOGE  --  CDC 'disease detectors' among hundreds fired as Trump administration ramps up agency cuts ...to cut up to 10% of its workforce as it targeted federal probationary employees.

SEE: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/doge/cdc-disease-detectors-fired-trump-administration-agency-cuts-doge-rcna192420

“The Trump administration on Saturday terminated hundreds of employees at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including fellows responsible for key public health roles, according to two sources at the agency who spoke on the condition of anonymity out of concern over retaliation.

Among them were about two dozen workers who made up the Laboratory Leadership Service, or LLS, a group responsible for training public health laboratory staffers and supporting outbreak response efforts. The two-year fellowship program launched in 2015, focusing on laboratory safety and regulatory compliance. ...”

Despite this petition plea and many other public health experts' warnings: 

*Petition · Protect CDC’s Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) and Laboratory Leadership Service (LLS) - United States · Change.org

SEE: https://www.change.org/p/protect-cdc-s-epidemic-intelligence-service-eis-and-laboratory-leadership-service-lls

*Dear HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr; Senate Health Committee Chair Dr. Bill Cassidy; Senate Health Committee Ranking Member Bernie Sanders; House Health Subcommittee Chair Buddy Carter; House Health Subcommittee Ranking Member Diana DeGette; and CDC Acting Director Dr. Susan Monarez;

We respectfully urge you to protect the future of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) program and Laboratory Leadership Service (LLS) program, our nation’s disease detectives who are on the front lines of protecting Americans’ health.

As a cornerstone of our nation’s public health infrastructure, the EIS has been on the front lines of investigating and responding to emerging health threats since its inception in 1951. EIS is a globally recognized program that has trained more than 4,000 fellows who have played crucial roles in countless responses including eradicating smallpox, investigating the causes of HIV/AIDS in 1981, providing disaster relief following 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina, responding to the anthrax bioterrorism threat in 2001, investigating e-cigarette/vaping associated lung injury, and serving on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic response in 2020.

The Laboratory Leadership Service (LLS) was founded in 2015 as a sister program to the EIS to provide complementary training to future public health laboratory leaders. The LLS plays a crucial role in strengthening our nation’s public health capacity. LLS fellows provide expertise in laboratory science, ensuring accurate disease detection, outbreak response, and biosafety. Their work complements that of EIS officers by integrating epidemiological investigation with advanced laboratory diagnostics.

Together, EIS and LLS fellows identify, track and respond to outbreaks and other public health emergencies. ...”