On January 21, 2025, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a directive instructing federal health agencies to temporarily pause external communications. According to a memo from Dorothy Fink, MD, interim HHS secretary, this pause is effective through February 1, 2025. Agencies impacted by the directive include HHS, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).  

This directive applies to various forms of outbound communication, including health advisories, research publications, website updates and social media posts. Additionally, the memo states that HHS agencies should refrain from submitting documents for publication in the Federal Register until they are reviewed and approved by a presidential appointee. 

We will continue to monitor this situation and provide updates as more details become available. To learn more about the challenges facing physicians today and how you can become an active participant in healthcare advocacy, check out our Healthcare Advocacy Toolkit. 

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