CDC Union Demands Action on Vaccine Misinformation After Deadly Atlanta Shooting

A recent deadly shooting near the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) headquarters in Atlanta has prompted the CDC employees’ union to issue a forceful demand for federal government condemnation of vaccine misinformation. The union asserts that such misinformation directly contributed to the violent incident, which occurred last Friday and resulted in the death of a police officer.

The American Federation of Government Employees, Local 2883, representing CDC staff, declared the attack was not random, but rather “compounds months of mistreatment, neglect, and vilification.” They specifically called upon the CDC and the Department of Health and Human Services (DHH) leadership, including DHH Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr (described in the source as a Trump administration appointee and vaccine safety skeptic), to take a “clear and unequivocal stance in condemning vaccine disinformation.” The union emphasized that a public statement is crucial to prevent further violence against scientists and reinforce public trust in science.

Authorities identified the 30-year-old suspect, Patrick Joseph White, who was armed with multiple guns, as someone who evidently blamed the Covid-19 vaccination for his depression and suicidal thoughts. White reportedly attempted to enter the CDC headquarters before opening fire across the street, hitting at least four CDC buildings. DeKalb County Police Officer David Rose, 33, a former US Marine, was mortally wounded while responding to the attack. White was later found dead at the scene, with the cause of death under investigation.

The incident has highlighted severe concerns for CDC staff safety. The union stressed that employees, some of whom were locked down for hours, should not be compelled to return to a campus with visible damage until repairs are made and security is fully assured. Former US Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams criticized Kennedy Jr.’s response to the shooting as “tepid” and late, linking it to his past “inflammatory rhetoric.” The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has stated the crime scene is “complex” and the investigation will be lengthy.

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