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Amidst the peak respiratory illness season, the incoming Trump administration mandates that federal health agencies obtain White House clearance before releasing public communications.

A January 21st memo from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), reviewed by TIME, states that “As the new Administration considers its plan for managing the federal policy and public communications processes, it is important that the President’s appointees and designees have the opportunity to review and approve any regulations, guidance documents, and other public documents and communications (including social media),” until February 1st.

The CDC, FDA, and NIH, all under HHS, frequently publish crucial health information impacting public response to various health threats.

Epidemiologist Katelyn Jetelina, a former CDC communications advisor, highlights the potential disruption: “CDC is the health warning system of the United States,” she explains, cautioning that delays could severely hamper the agency’s effectiveness.

Sources within federal health agencies, speaking anonymously due to the situation’s political sensitivity, describe internal efforts to understand the implications of this directive. These sources note that agencies are interpreting the new rules in real time.

The January 21st memo indicates that this isn’t a complete communication freeze, but rather a pre-publication review process for all public communications. This isn’t entirely unprecedented; similar reviews occurred in 2017 under the first Trump administration and during the COVID-19 pandemic under both Trump and Biden.

Mitch Zeller, former director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products, describes such a temporary pause as “not unusual” for a new administration, allowing time for the new leadership to familiarize themselves with ongoing projects.

However, he expresses concern over White House review of scientific documents, stating that during his tenure, White House involvement was minimal unless the announcement was exceptionally high-profile.

Zeller points to HHS’s already complex approval process, adding another layer of review potentially causing significant delays, especially for time-sensitive communications. Reportedly, this has already delayed CDC bird flu reports. (The memo notes that exceptions may be granted for communications affecting critical health, safety, or national security.)

Zeller voices distrust in the incoming administration’s approach, citing an alleged “anti-regulatory, anti-science agenda.”

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s HHS nominee, has signaled potential sweeping changes within federal health agencies, including staff purges at the FDA, restricting CDC functions, and shifting focus towards alternative health topics. (His confirmation hearing is unlikely before February.)

A day prior to the communication memo, Trump withdrew the U.S. from the World Health Organization, a move that experts believe increases the country’s vulnerability to public health threats. The White House’s pandemic preparedness office is also reportedly weakened under the new administration.

Lawrence Gostin of Georgetown University’s O’Neill Institute describes the communications directive as another attack on public health, questioning the White House’s scientific expertise in this matter.

While HHS didn’t respond to TIME’s requests for comment, the memo assures that the review process will be efficient, returning to a standard process as quickly as possible.