The CDC on Thursday urged labs nationwide to determine within 24 hours of admission whether people hospitalized with the flu have seasonal influenza or are infected with the bird flu that's behind an escalating outbreak in dairy cows and poultry.

The Trump administration told federal public health agencies like the CDC that they are not to communicate health messages for now. The hold includes memos, reports, online posts, website updates and other forms of communication. Scientific meetings were also canceled for the time being, including of advisory panels.

According to agency officials and knowledgeable people, the Trump administration has directed federal health agencies to freeze external communications, including weekly scientific reports, health advisories and website updates.

Past editors of MMWR and prior leaders of CDC lamented the lack of publication, and its potential impact on the distribution of vital public health information. "This is a concerning precedent that public health messages won't be left to public health professionals and experts,

Agencies subject to the Department of Health and Human Services directive include the CDC, the National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration.

The halt has frozen research grants, meetings and key health updates. “Everything is basically in chaos,” said one cancer researcher.

Meanwhile, the HHS website scrubbed search results for the word "abortion," and ReproductiveRights.gov -- a site the Biden administration launched after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade -- is now a broken link. ( NPR)

The Trump administration has put a freeze on many federal health agency communications with the public through at least the end of the month.

As part of his blitz of executive orders, President Trump delivered on a promise to withdraw the United States from the World Health Organization. The Trump White House accuses the WHO of mishandling the COVID-19 pandemic and bias toward China.

Flu has surged to high levels across the US, straining hospitals. Experts discuss 2024-25 flu season trends, symptoms to watch for, and how to stay safe.

The Trump Administration potentially issued a pause on a variety of communications going out from the nation’s top health agencies, according to reporting

Experts say it's common to wait until new teams are in place but is a concern if it means "going back to a prior approach of silencing the agencies". View on euronews