The Maine Center for Disease control is laying off at least 40 contracted workers as a result of last week's abrupt termination of nearly $91 million in federal grants. State officials say the cuts to Covid-related funding will also directly impact the work of more than 70 vendors.
The bulk of the cuts from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control — roughly $88 million — will affect programs at the Maine CDC, including immunization programs, disease and outbreak monitoring and management, community health workers, and efforts to reduce health inequities in vulnerable populations.
Another $3 million in cuts affect programs under Maine's Office of Behavioral Health, including school-based mental health counseling services, substance use prevention and recovery programs for youth, and training for providers to treat adolescents with co-occurring disorders.
In a written statement, Maine health officials condemned the termination of the grants, saying they compromise the state's ability to respond to disease outbreaks and affect important safety net programs. Officials said they continue to evaluate the full impact of the cuts.
