The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention informed health programs at the state, territorial, tribal, and local levels that they must agree to a list of priorities by July 1, 2025. Programs focused on immunizations, HIV, hepatitis, and tobacco received the notice.

A copy of the memo states the new priorities include "parental authority" and policies giving parents "greater control over their children's education." The CDC memo deprioritizes housing first, harm reduction, and safe consumption programs for substance use. The agency indicated it is prioritizing evidence-based programs to reduce homelessness, drug use, and "public disorder," a term not defined in the memo.

Emily Hilliard, a spokesperson for the US Department of Health and Human Services, stated, "Grantees were directed to review their work plans and ensure their activities align with the Department's priorities and produce meaningful public health outcomes." A grant note referenced a previous CDC statement that funding may be canceled if programs do not comply with the agency's terms. A source familiar with the memo stated that CDC program staff were unaware of the new requirement, suggesting the notice did not originate from them.

Nabarun Dasgupta, a street drug researcher and senior scientist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Injury Prevention Research Center, characterized the directive in a podcast interview. "This is a warm-up. This is a warning shot," Dasgupta said. He noted that medetomidine, a drug adulterant replacing fentanyl on the East Coast, does not produce a high but causes heart attacks in people attempting to quit abruptly. "This new form of adulterant really is a gamechanger in terms of being able to provide care, and in this exact setting is when you actually need harm reduction more than ever," he said.

Dorit Reiss, a vaccines expert and professor at UC Law San Francisco, stated, "Similarly, housing programs and harm reduction programs save lives and promote health." In 2022, there were 107,941 known drug overdose deaths. Vaccine mandates are set at the state and local levels.