Cdc Says Cruise Ship Cleanliness Checks Aren’t Going Anywhere, Even After Mass Layoffs

'We're going to consolidate:' RFK, Jr. on HHS layoffs

10,000 job cuts expected at HHS as part of major restructuring.

• The CDC's Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) will continue operating under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
• The VSP is primarily staffed by commissioned officers not affected by recent HHS layoffs.
• The program aims to prevent and control gastrointestinal illnesses on cruise ships.

Mass layoffs hit the Department of Health and Human Services earlier this month, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said its Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) will remain intact under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a CDC spokesperson confirmed to USA TODAY on Friday.

"This work has not stopped, as the VSP is primarily staffed by USPHS commissioned officers who were not subject to the reduction in force," the spokesperson said.

According to the agency, critical programs in the CDC will continue under Kennedy's vision "to streamline HHS to better serve Americans."

The VSP is designed to prevent gastrointestinal illnesses such as norovirus from spreading on cruises through programmatic activities such as unannounced sanitation inspections, monitoring and assisting with outbreaks with tracking and reporting, planning reviews for new and renovated ships and equipment, and variance review and processing.

Contributing: Nathan Diller, USA TODAY