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What the federal shutdown means for local public health
Local public health departments and federally funded clinics say it’s business as usual for now, but that could change if the shutdown drags on.
Rebecca Grapevine
October 02, 2025
Hi, Atlanta!
The federal government shut down this week due to an impasse over the fiscal 2026 budget.
While many federal agencies and workers will be impacted, so far local public health is operating mostly as usual. Here’s a rundown of where things stand.
At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which has seen its share of turmoil this year, about a third of staff members will continue working, and 8,742 staffers will be furloughed. That figure includes about 1,563 who have been laid off, according to a federal contingency staffing plan.
Georgia’s Department of Public Health and four local health departments (Fulton; DeKalb; Gwinnett, Newton, Rockdale; and Cobb and Douglas) told me their activities are continuing as normal. That includes WIC, the Women, Infants and Children program that provides nutrition assistance to pregnant people and children under 5.
The state’s 34 federally qualified health centers that provide services to un- and underinsured people are also operating as usual, said Dr. Theresa Jacobs, clinical director for the Georgia Primary Care Association, which represents the clinics.
Medicaid and PeachCare, insurance plans for low-income people, will continue to be funded through December, according to a federal document. And SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program that provides food assistance to low-income people, has the funds to operate through October and likely beyond.
Depending on how long the shutdown lasts, it could affect key public health activities. For example, the CDC’s lapse plan notes that during a shutdown, the agency “would not be available to provide guidance to state and local health departments implementing programs to protect the public's health (e.g., opioid overdose prevention, HIV prevention, diabetes prevention).”
The National Institutes of Health plan notes that research activities will be stopped, as will the grant review process, which could delay new awards.
Georgia DPH leaders “are assessing other funding sources for programs that could potentially be affected by the shutdown, depending on its duration,” spokesperson Nancy Nydam Shirek said.
Upcoming Events
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ICYMI
Here’s a recap of the latest reporting from Healthbeat:
And … Healthbeat is amping up its coverage of global public health. William Herkewitz, a journalist and former American diplomat based in Nairobi, joins us to report a weekly Global Health Checkup. Find his first dispatches here, and sign up here for his upcoming newsletter.
The Grapevine 🍇
A name that might be familiar to longtime Atlantans and public health observers is joining Healthbeat this week. I’m thrilled to welcome Alison Young as our national reporter. Alison worked at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution from 2006 to 2008, and she is the author of “Pandora’s Gamble: Lab Leaks, Pandemics, and a World at Risk.” I’m delighted to have her on board and excited to share her work with you!
What I’m hearing from readers:
Grateful to Rebecca Grapevine from Healthbeat for shining a light on the work we’re doing through the Atlanta HIV Innovation Sprint. … Rebecca captured why this effort matters: bringing together communities of often disparate, siloed public health leaders and advocates can open up new pathways for prevention and care. It’s about moving beyond technology for its own sake to designing solutions that meet people where they are and reflect their lived experience.
Hear from Healthbeat on other platforms:
“Georgia Health Report”: Hear me talk about the confusion over Covid vaccine access. Listen here.
What Do You Know?
Test your knowledge of public health topics. Today’s question:
Former President Jimmy Carter made it his life’s work to improve people’s health around the world. A new documentary released this week in honor of what would have been his 101st birthday follows his efforts to eradicate a painful disease. What was it? |
Tell Me More
Is the federal government shutdown affecting your work? What questions do you have about how it will impact Georgia? Send me your news tips, too. You can reach me at [email protected] or by replying to this email.
In health,
Rebecca
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