Over 1,000 CDC employees received layoff notices on Oct. 10, including the entire Washington office, but HHS later said some notices were sent due to a coding error and were rescinded.

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On October 10, HHS sent 1,147 layoff notices to CDC employees, including every worker in the Washington, D.C., legislative liaison office. After public outcry and Congressional inquiries, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claimed a "data processing error" caused 723 incorrect notices but confirmed 424 layoffs would proceed. Laid-off employees included epidemiologists tracking bird flu outbreaks and vaccine safety monitors. The "coding error" excuse mirrored Trump's 2017 travel ban rollout—initial overreach followed by partial retreat to avoid immediate court injunctions while still achieving policy goals.

Over 1,000 CDC employees received layoff notices on Oct. 10, including the entire Washington office, but HHS later said some notices were sent due to a coding error and were rescinded.

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