The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is clawing back more than $11.4 billion in COVID-19 response funds from state and community health departments, nonprofits, and international groups—a move that’s sending shockwaves across the public health sector.

NBC News, who was the first to report,  confirmed on Tuesday (March 26) that grantees will have 30 days to reconcile their expenditures following the decision. 

While a list of affected programs hasn’t been released, CDC officials noted that the withdrawn funding had supported a range of initiatives—including COVID-19 testing and vaccination, health workforce programs, and efforts aimed at reducing health disparities, particularly in underserved communities and communities of color.

“The COVID-19 pandemic is over, and HHS will no longer waste billions of taxpayer dollars responding to a non-existent pandemic that Americans moved on from years ago,” Director of Communications for the Department of Health and Human Services Andrew Nixon said in a statement obtained by the outlet.

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Nixon stated that “HHS is prioritizing funding projects that will deliver on President Trump’s mandate to address our chronic disease epidemic and Make America Healthy Again.”

Nine state health departments have confirmed receiving the termination notices. Mississippi is still assessing the fallout, while Utah officials say they’re currently evaluating the impact.

According to the CDC, despite the pandemic having been officially declared over in May 2023, the virus hasn’t disappeared. More than 1.2 million Americans have died from COVID-19, and hundreds continue to die each week, with long COVID still taking a toll on many.

The move comes amid a wider wave of cuts under new HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., including the cancellation of hundreds of millions in grants tied to vaccine hesitancy, LGBTQ populations, and HIV prevention.