Critical Infection Control Panel Dismantled by Trump Administration

A federal advisory committee that has guided healthcare facilities nationwide on infection prevention protocols for over three decades has been terminated by the Trump administration, raising alarms among infectious disease experts. The Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC), which crafted essential guidance on everything from hand hygiene to isolating infectious patients, was shuttered as part of broader federal workforce reduction efforts.

Members of the committee were informed of the termination last week in a letter from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), though the action actually took effect on March 31, according to CIDRAP.

Expert Panel’s Dissolution Creates Healthcare Guidance Vacuum

HICPAC, established in 1991, consisted of 14 non-federal experts in fields including infectious diseases, infection prevention, healthcare epidemiology, nursing, and public health. The committee met regularly at CDC headquarters in Atlanta, with meetings open to the public, providing transparency in the development of infection control guidelines.

Over its 33-year history, the committee issued 540 evidence-based recommendations to the CDC, with approximately 90% being fully implemented in healthcare settings across the country. These recommendations covered critical practices such as standard precautions for patient care, environmental infection control, isolation protocols, and preferred methods for cleaning and disinfecting medical equipment.

“It has been a powerhouse in developing guidance to keep us and our patients safe in the hospital,” said Dr. Alex Sundermann, assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh, who recently warned about potential consequences if the committee were disbanded.

Timing Raises Concerns Amid Rising Antimicrobial Resistance

The committee’s termination comes at a particularly concerning time, as the United States has recently seen significant increases in healthcare-associated infections. According to recent CDC data, six bacterial antimicrobial-resistant hospital-onset infections increased by a combined 20% during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the pre-pandemic period.

Several professional societies, anticipating potential cuts to the committee, preemptively wrote to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in March, urging preservation of HICPAC amid broader federal health agency reductions. These groups included the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, Infectious Diseases Society of America, Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, and the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society.

“The decision to terminate HICPAC creates a preventable gap in national preparedness and response capacity, leaving healthcare facilities without timely, evidence-based and expert-driven recommendations at a time when threats from emerging pathogens and antimicrobial resistance are on the rise,” the societies stated in a joint statement.

Static Guidelines Raise Future Risks

With the committee’s dissolution, its web pages have already been archived – meaning they remain accessible but will no longer be updated. This creates significant concern among infection prevention specialists that guidelines will become frozen in time, unable to evolve with new scientific evidence or respond to emerging infectious threats.

Connie Steed, a HICPAC member since 2023 and former president of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, warned about the implications: “At some point, when things need to change, the guidelines likely won’t change, and then people will be sort of flying by the seat of their pants.”

Without HICPAC’s regular review and updates, hospitals and healthcare systems may develop inconsistent approaches to infection control, potentially creating confusion for healthcare workers who move between facilities and compromising patient safety.

Committee Had Critics Despite Broad Recognition

Despite its vital role in infection prevention, HICPAC had faced criticism in recent years. Its draft proposal in 2023 to update the CDC’s 2007 isolation precaution guidelines drew significant backlash when it suggested that surgical masks provide equivalent protection as respirators against airborne pathogens like SARS-CoV-2.

A letter signed by more than 900 public health experts warned at the time that the proposed guidelines could weaken protections for healthcare workers exposed to infectious aerosols. However, critics of the committee’s recommendations still opposed its termination, citing the importance of maintaining transparent processes for developing infection control guidance.

“While we had significant concerns regarding HICPAC’s makeup and proposed guidance, the termination of the committee removes important public transparency,” said Bonnie Castillo, executive director of National Nurses United, a group that had criticized some of HICPAC’s recommendations.

Future of Infection Control Guidance Uncertain

The CDC and Department of Health and Human Services have not responded to requests for comment on how infection control guidelines will be developed and updated moving forward. This silence has left infectious disease experts speculating about potential alternatives, including whether guideline development might be moved internally within the CDC or outsourced to other entities.

Healthcare facilities are particularly concerned about how they will receive guidance for emerging infectious threats, as hospitals often relied on HICPAC’s rapid development of evidence-based protocols during public health emergencies. The committee played a crucial role in providing guidance during the COVID-19 pandemic, helping healthcare institutions implement appropriate infection prevention measures.

The termination of HICPAC is part of a broader reduction in federal advisory committees following President Trump’s executive order in February aimed at reducing the federal bureaucracy. The order has resulted in the elimination of several advisory panels that provided scientific and technical expertise to government agencies.