WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has quietly disbanded a federal advisory committee that played a central role in shaping national guidelines for preventing infections in health care settings.
The Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC), a group of experts that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), was officially terminated on March 31, according to a letter obtained by NBC News and reviewed by several former members. The CDC informed committee members of the decision during a virtual meeting held Friday, over a month after the termination took effect.
For decades, HICPAC helped establish essential infection control measures such as hand-washing protocols, mask use, and isolation practices that are widely adopted across U.S. hospitals. Its dissolution raises concerns among public health experts about the country’s ability to update and enforce standards at a time when drug-resistant infections and emerging pathogens pose increasing risks.
The CDC’s letter indicated that the move was in line with an executive order from then-President Donald Trump directing federal agencies to streamline operations and reduce the size of the federal workforce.
Four professional societies, including the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, had urged Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in a March 26 letter to preserve the committee amid broader staffing reductions across federal health agencies.
Despite these appeals, the committee’s official webpages have been archived, indicating they are no longer maintained or updated. Former members now fear that the termination could freeze current infection control guidelines in place indefinitely, even as scientific understanding and health threats evolve.
“At some point, when things need to change, the guidelines likely won’t change,” said Connie Steed, a HICPAC member since 2023 and past president of APIC. “Then people will be sort of flying by the seat of their pants.”
Dr. Anurag Malani, a fellow at the Infectious Diseases Society of America and a new appointee to HICPAC as of January, said the committee had been on the verge of finalizing new guidance on airborne pathogen protection. The proposed update, which had not been revised since 2007, included controversial provisions that would have allowed the use of surgical masks instead of N95 respirators in certain health care settings.
The CDC and the Department of Health and Human Services have not responded to requests for comment.
Critics of the termination say the absence of an active infection control advisory body could hinder the CDC’s ability to respond effectively to evolving health threats and implement evidence-based standards across the nation’s hospitals.
