The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced on Tuesday that it is taking back $11.4 billion in COVID-19-related funds from state and local health departments, as well as other public health organizations across the country.

“HHS will no longer spend billions of taxpayer dollars on a pandemic that no longer exists,” the department said in a statement, adding that Americans moved on from COVID-19 years ago.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has started sending termination notices, and officials plan to recover the money within 30 days. These funds were originally meant for COVID-19 testing, vaccinations, global health programs, and community health workers helping high-risk and underserved groups.

Backlash from Public Health Officials

Lori Freeman, CEO of the National Association of County & City Health Officials, strongly opposed the decision, calling it “cruel and unusual.” She pointed out that most of the funding was already set to end within six months, questioning why the administration was rushing to take it back now.

“This funding was approved and allocated by Congress, and it had already been distributed to the grantees,” Freeman said. She stressed that states had received the money and were responsible for distributing it at the local level.

Health experts also highlighted that COVID-related programs now play a key role in tackling other health issues. For example, wastewater surveillance, which was originally used to track COVID-19, is now essential for monitoring diseases like influenza and measles.

“It has been very useful in tracking flu, new disease patterns, and most recently, the measles outbreak,” Freeman added.

Impact on State and Local Health Programs

The sudden funding cut has left many state health departments struggling to understand the impact. In Washington state, officials were informed that over $125 million in COVID-related funds would be withdrawn, forcing them to reconsider ongoing programs.

Likewise, health officials in Los Angeles County warned that they might lose more than $80 million, which supports vaccinations, public health labs, outbreak investigations, and infection control in local health services.

“This funding is crucial for tracking diseases, running public health labs, investigating outbreaks, maintaining infection control, and ensuring data transparency,” a Los Angeles County health department official said in an email.

These funds were originally provided through laws like the COVID relief funds and the American Rescue Plan Act, passed under both the Trump and Biden administrations.

Broader Cutbacks on COVID-19 Programs

The government health funding is pulling back funds as part of a larger effort to scale down programs introduced during the pandemic. Recently, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) canceled over 24 research grants related to COVID-19. Earlier this month, the federal government also shut down covidtests.gov, the website that allowed Americans to order free at-home COVID-19 test kits. Even though the official public health emergency has ended, COVID-19 is still a concern. 

According to CDC data, an average of 458 people in the U.S. have died from the virus each week over the past month.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has not shared specific details about how it will recover the funds from affected recipients. However, HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon confirmed via email that the $11.4 billion consists of unspent funds.

Uncertain Future for Public Health Initiatives

As health departments and public health organizations lose COVID-19 funding, the long-term effects are still uncertain. Some pandemic programs were expected to end, but health officials warn that cutting funds too soon could harm disease prevention and community health efforts.

Experts like Freeman believe that while emergency funding may not be needed anymore, the systems set up during COVID-19 are still important for handling future health crises. Without enough financial support, health departments may struggle to keep these services running.

For now, state and local health agencies must find ways to manage the financial gaps left by the federal government’s sudden decision to withdraw billions in COVID-19 response funds.