Staff Editorial
The CDC has a dubious amount of meddling
The Messenger Editorial Board
On Dec. 27, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new quarantine guidelines which allow for reduced isolation periods for asymptomatic people exposed to COVID-19. While this is welcome news for many, the timing is questionable.
This statement comes as the U.S. experiences a drastic spike in COVID-19 cases, caused by the new omicron variant. The decision to change the guidelines should be a deliberate decision, with thorough and conclusive research behind it confirming the benefits outweigh the risks. However, the CDC, itself, admitted to having limited research on omicron and will not have it for weeks to come, making the new quarantine guidelines highly irresponsible. The move stands to endanger countless Americans.
What is worse about this situation is how Delta Air Lines suggested the policy change just a few days prior, with airline JetBlue and Airlines for America, a lobbying group representing major American airlines, quickly following suit. For the CDC to be beholden to groups that have such an interest in protecting their profits, is worrisome.
This is not the first time this has happened. Throughout 2021, there were 819 lobbying requests sent to the CDC, with the number picking up due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At times, the CDC even adopted the exact language used in the lobbying requests, including sensitive topics such as school reopenings. It is clear that lobbying groups have tremendous sway in CDC policies.
Policymakers should forbid lobbying groups from encroaching on the public health sector. But the impact of public health on lives is measured by the most absolute indicator possible—whether those lives remain in the first place. The CDC cannot handle this responsibility lightly. It needs to be able to make independent decisions, backed by extensive research in Americans’ best interests, instead of succumbing to external pressure.
Though lobbying is not inherently evil and is essential to the political process, the extra weight that comes with protecting American lives, the reason why we have a 24/7 dedicated agency to look over it, should completely negate the need for it. If the CDC is merely going to regurgitate the “advice” that it is being handed, billions of tax dollars are going down the drain.
American health is no longer in the hands of those who want to protect them. The CDC seeks to make its decisions according to “the highest quality scientific data that is derived objectively.” It can’t do that if it’s playing puppet to lobbyists.
Graphic by Kevin Xiang, Staff Writer
