Scoop: Some CDC probationary employees have been reinstated. "We apologize for any disruption that this may have caused."

The news came the same day the Trump administration revised a memo that had led to mass terminations in February, but it's unclear if this development is related.

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Some CDC employees fired by DOGE via OPM have been reinstated.

Getty Images / Jessica McGowan

A number of CDC employees who were terminated by the Trump administration in the “Valentine’s Day weekend massacre” have been reinstated, Inside Medicine has learned.

“Reinstated,” one CDC source who had been fired texted me. “A bunch of us were.”

It’s unclear how many people now have their jobs back, but it has been an emotional day. Just a few hours earlier, some terminated CDC employees had received instructions on how to return their equipment (like laptops), and were told that they would need to do so by Friday. Adding insult to injury, the government was not even paying for packing materials. “I’m going to chuck it all in a box and hope for the best,” I was told.

But then, just a few hours later, the good news came via an email from the CDC itself. “I don’t think I can put words to my emotions,” the once-again current CDC employee told me.

Here is the text of one of the reinstatement emails:

“Good afternoon,

After further review and consideration, the notification to terminate your appointment, effective February 15, 2025, has been rescinded. As a result, your physical and logical access has been restored and you are cleared to return to work on Wednesday, March 5, 2025. You should return to duty under your previous work schedule. We apologize for any disruption that this may have caused.

If you have any questions or concerns, you may respond to this email or contact your direct supervisor.

Thanks.”

A similar story was shared on Reddit. (Normally, I would not rely or report on a Reddit post as a source, but given that the post matches what trusted sources within the CDC told me, it’s worth sharing here too.)

It’s unclear how the sudden reversal occurred, but others I spoke to at the CDC were uncertain whether the change reflected breaking news that the Trump administration has issued a revised memo today that appears to walk back the mass and indiscriminate firings across the federal government in February.

While the news of the terminated employees getting their jobs back might seem connected to the memo given the timing, it may not actually be related. It simply seems too soon for a policy change like that to have been converted into decisions and emails on who precisely to bring back. Additionally, it is not yet clear that all terminated CDC employees have been told that they are welcome back. So, it’s possible that the CDC itself or legal processes and appeals led to this development.

I’ll share more information when I have it…

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