CDC to End Monkey Experimentation

According to the journal Science, researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have been instructed to phase out all research involving monkeys by the end of the year. The CDC primarily uses monkeys in HIV-prevention research. The directive was reportedly passed down by a former Department of Government Efficiency employee (a recent college graduate with no apparent scientific background) acting as the CDC’s deputy director at the time.

AWI supports a thoughtful, science-backed transition away from animal experimentation. In this case, however, no roadmap has been provided describing the details of this directive, and most scientists contend that nonanimal alternatives are not yet able to replace the kinds of infectious disease research conducted by the CDC—leaving it unclear how it would proceed going forward. Therefore, while this directive may be good news for monkeys, AWI is concerned that the experimental burden will simply shift to other species, such as rodents, who have fewer federal protections and garner less public sympathy. The fate of approximately 200 monkeys currently at the CDC also remains unknown; retirement to sanctuary, euthanasia, or transfer to other research facilities are all possibilities.

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