Shutdown leaves gaps in states’ health data, possibly endangering lives

Summary:

– CDC shutdown pauses national wastewater tracking.

– States face delays in spotting flu, RSV , COVID spikes.

– Experts warn public health risks could rise quickly.

As the federal shutdown continues, states have been forced to fall back on their own resources to spot disease outbreaks — just as respiratory illness season begins.

The shutdown has halted dashboards and expert analysis from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which monitors indicators such as wastewater to provide early warnings of the spread of COVID-19 , influenza, RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) and other infectious diseases.

The pause leaves states with less early warning on disease outbreaks, potentially endangering lives even as child vaccination rates drop amid increased