Trump pauses updates from CDC, FDA, others — can SC residents still get health info? What we know
Though President Donald Trump recently ordered federal health agencies to pause some external communications, South Carolina residents should still have access to most local information.
The pause order was given on Jan. 21 and will affect services such as some regular scientific reports, health advisories, and website updates from federal health agencies, including the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, CNN reported. The pause is set to last through Saturday, Feb. 1.
Some federal public health websites are still providing limited updates, and the Trump administration’s order came “with little guidance as to what exactly is covered,” CNN added.
As of Wednesday, Jan. 29, the CDC’s H5 Bird Flu: Current Situation web page was last updated Tuesday, Jan. 28, and reported the multi-state outbreak has led to 67 confirmed total human cases in the U.S. and one death.
SC health reports
According to a Tuesday email from the South Carolina Department of Public Health to The State, the department is currently reviewing all presidential executive orders and memos to see if any may potentially impact it or its services.
“We are looking at all federal grants and funding during this evaluation, and we will continue to expand our review as new federal guidance is enacted or received. In the meantime, DPH’s employees remain focused on our agency’s mission to protect, promote, and improve the health and well-being of everyone in South Carolina,” the department wrote.
In keeping with that focus, the federal pause won’t impact the department’s regular flu activity report, which is available to the public each flu season.
“DPH compiles the South Carolina flu data for a weekly surveillance report called Flu Watch. This report is typically shared each Wednesday. As a state agency, we will continue to share this report and other South Carolina flu information as we normally would,” the department wrote.
SC flu
The latest report as of Wednesday morning shows widespread flu activity in the state. The report shows there were 5,711 lab-confirmed tests for flu reported the week of Jan. 12 through Jan. 18. There have been 20,299 lab-confirmed tests so far this flu season.
Patient visits for flu-like illness in the state were up 10.3%, above South Carolina’s baseline of 3.2%. Also, there have been 30 flu-related deaths in the state so far this season.
Where to find public health information in South Carolina?
Here’s a list of online resources from the CDC and the South Carolina Department of Public Health on respiratory viruses and more.
- CDC respiratory virus levels
- CDC information on norovirus symptoms and prevention
- SC Flu watch
- SC health departments
- SC info on diseases and conditions
This story was originally published January 29, 2025 at 9:45 AM.
