Without up-to-date data, health officials cannot identify gaps or direct education and outreach where they are most needed. He noted that local health departments generate much of the underlying data, and sustaining those efforts is critical. After the Trump administration rescinded covid-related support for local and state health departments, Dallas County lost $4 million that had already been allocated and built into its operating plans. When federal funding is withdrawn at this scale, local and state governments have little realistic prospect to replace it. “We don’t have ways to just hire people back right away,” Huang told me.

Source: Washington Post March 04, 2026 12:34 UTC