[Editorial] The US CDC on the brink

On Aug 11, 2025, a gunman who falsely believed that mRNA COVID-19 vaccines were dangerous went on a shooting rampage at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) main campus, shattering 150 windows and tragically killing a 33-year-old CDC security officer. Staff, still reeling from firings and programmatic shifts that began with the new Trump administration, were deeply traumatised. 8 months later, the windows have not been repaired. The CDC was once the gold standard for public health leadership.