How the US response to covid-19 broke its world-class health agencies

A series of bad decisions and ill-judged policies, coupled with unrivalled political interference, has led to the FDA and CDC losing the trust of the public and scientists

By Chelsea Whyte

Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

AS THE US enters a third surge of coronavirus cases, the two agencies charged with shepherding it through the public health crisis have lost their biggest asset: trust. The impact could be catastrophic, with one expert warning that the country may be heading for a national security crisis.

“Both the FDA and the CDC rely on one common element, which is public trust and confidence,” says J. Stephen Morrison at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington DC. “That is their essential asset that they have to …