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The Trump administration has begun a sweeping round of layoffs at major U.S. health agencies, including the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as part of its broader effort to reduce government staffing.

The move, which aims to eliminate 10,000 federal health positions, has raised concerns about the country’s ability to effectively oversee the public health sector, according to Reuters.

The job cuts, also impacting the National Institutes of Health (NIH), align with President Donald Trump’s initiative to streamline federal departments. The downsizing is backed by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk and has been described by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as a necessary measure to reduce bureaucratic inefficiency.

However, the dismissals have triggered an exodus of top scientists and health officials overseeing critical public health initiatives, drug approval processes, and emergency preparedness.

Among the departures is Peter Stein, the director of the FDA’s Office of New Drugs, who resigned after being informed of his impending termination. Brian King, head of the FDA’s Centre for Tobacco Products, was also fired, according to an email he sent to staff.

The cuts extend across key FDA divisions, including drugs, food, vaccines, medical devices, and tobacco products. Employees within the agency report struggles in meeting review deadlines due to diminishing personnel.

An FDA source described chaotic scenes at the agency’s headquarters, where employees were required to present identification badges upon entry. Those who had been dismissed were given a ticket and told to return home.

A document seen by Reuters listed phone numbers for terminated employees to contact in order to retrieve “essential” equipment. Others received email notifications early Tuesday morning, which stated that their terminations were not related to their performance or conduct.

At the NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland, traffic congestion was reported as employees were informed of their layoffs upon arrival.

The CDC was also significantly impacted, with staff from the National Center for Environmental Health, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases being affected.

Among those dismissed was at least one employee working on the federal response to measles outbreaks, according to a source.

A health official confirmed that employees working directly for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) were also included in the layoffs. Representatives from HHS were not immediately available for comment.

The large-scale firings have prompted concerns from health experts who warn that the loss of experienced personnel could weaken the U.S. health sector’s ability to respond to public health emergencies and oversee critical research and regulatory processes.