The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) is grappling with a significant financial setback due to the abrupt cancellation of $334.2 million in funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This loss impacts various organizations, including those dedicated to providing vaccine access, particularly for Black Georgians and underserved communities. The funding cuts, part of a nationwide reduction of nearly $12 billion in CDC Covid-era funds, were announced on March 25, leaving DPH leaders scrambling to assess the impact and notify contractors to cease work immediately.

Georgia Public Health Commissioner Kathleen Toomey communicated the urgency of the situation to the governor’s office, noting that the funds were originally slated to continue until late 2026. The CDC justified the cuts by stating that the grants were intended for the limited purpose of addressing the pandemic's effects, which they now deem no longer necessary. While some Democratic-led states have filed a lawsuit challenging the cuts and have obtained a temporary restraining order, Georgia is not among those states.

The DPH has been reticent about the specific impacts of the cuts, but leaders at Cobb and Douglas Public Health have indicated a loss of approximately $467,000. State officials maintain that core services will continue. The funding cuts have resulted in layoffs, including 170 temporary contact tracers and 13 additional employees across epidemiology, lab services, and emergency preparedness.

Several community organizations are significantly affected. Sean Penn’s Community Organized Relief Effort (CORE) is losing nearly $3.3 million in Vaccines for Children Covid funding. CORE, which has been active in Georgia since the pandemic, focuses on providing vaccine access to underserved communities and has administered over 149,000 Covid vaccines in the state since March 2021. The DPH has instructed CORE to cease all activities immediately, following a previous loss of about $5 million from a $12 million contract for vaccine event coordination.

Atlanta nonprofit BLKHLTH Inc. is losing approximately $500,000 in federal funding, leading to the cancellation of 10 upcoming events focused on Covid vaccine equity. BLKHLTH planned to use data from community listening sessions to tailor vaccine outreach efforts, aiming to provide culturally responsive information to counter disinformation. The organization is now seeking alternative funding sources to continue its vaccine work.

The Center for Black Women’s Wellness in Atlanta is also affected, losing about $438,000. The organization expressed dismay, particularly because the notification came after a Covid outreach event and listening session. The center, which provides health care services and maternal and postpartum support, faces potential hardship due to the funding loss and concerns about the loss of community trust.

Additionally, the red self-serve Covid testing kiosks set up by the DPH during the pandemic are being removed. These kiosks, provided under a contract with Longview International Technology Services, were deactivated on March 31, with Longview scheduled to collect them.