A communications pause reportedly ordered by the Trump administration to the US federal health agencies and affecting their communications to the public and external partners had not been formally notified to the EU effective 24 January. The pause took effect on 21 January and is expected to continue through 1 February, according to the Washington Post, which obtained information about the pause from two internal memos. The pause was not publically announced.
A spokesperson for the European Commission, in response to a query from MedNous, said the Commission was not aware of having received any formal reports or notices about the measures. The pause affects agencies which are part of the US Department of Health and Human Services including the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health. The Commission and member countries of the EU work closely with all of these agencies on medical research projects, clinical trials, the control of infectious diseases and drug regulation. The FDA and the European Medicines Agency have regular exchanges on the development of new medicines, including antibiotics.
According to the Post, a spokesperson for the HHS said the pause affects mass communications and public appearances that are not directly related to emergencies or critical to preserving health.
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