In a letter Tuesday to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Dr. Jayanta Bhattacharya, Democratic members of Maryland’s congressional delegation questioned the research pause at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Integrated Research Facility at Fort Detrick in Frederick (IRF-Frederick).
The letter was sent by U.S. Rep. April McClain Delaney and Sen. Chris Van Hollen, with signatures of support from U.S. Sen. Angela Alsobrooks and Reps. Steny Hoyer, Jamie Raskin, Glenn Ivey, Kweisi Mfume, Sarah Elfreth, and Johnny Olszewski.
Research was paused following reports of alleged safety violations, misconduct on the part of personnel, and possible exposure to Ebola virus. According to WIRED magazine, IRF-Frederick was told to stop all experimental work by April 29 by 5 p.m. Bradley Moss, communications director for the office of research services at NIH confirmed the pause and told WIRED that there were “identification and documentation of personnel issues involving contract staff that compromised the facility’s safety culture,” but did not specify on the nature of those issues.
Also troubling were two separate statements released by elected officials from Frederick County and the City of Frederick in early May right after the stoppage. City and county officials said not only were they not made aware of why work was paused, the federal government did not make the city officials aware of the work stoppage at IRF-Frederick at all.
According to reporting in the Frederick News-Post, “Frederick County spokesperson Vivian Laxton said she checked with heads of multiple county divisions and departments that would likely have been made aware of issues at the lab, but none of them had received information from the federal government either.”
The IRF-Frederick is a high-containment research facility which is operated by NIAID, a key component of NIH. It is critical to the government’s efforts and ability to fight deadly and emerging infectious diseases like Ebola, COVID-19, and HIV/AIDS.
HHS is calling the research pause a “safety stand-down.” The “personnel issues” allegedly involved contract staff who compromised the lab’s safety protocols. According to the press release from McClain Delaney and Van Hollen, “[s]ubsequent reporting has revealed allegations, including intentional damage to protective equipment stemming from a personal dispute between researchers.”
Kennedy testified before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee that the FBI is investigating the incident, and that the contractor involved may have been exposed to the Ebola virus.
“The safety measures and protocols at the IRF-Frederick are of the utmost importance not only for our constituents in the surrounding communities and the State of Maryland, but also for the entire country,” the lawmakers wrote in their June 10 letter. “Every day that research at the IRF-Frederick is halted, our nation’s readiness to respond to biological threats and life-threatening, emerging public health crises is at risk. Preserving the safety, integrity, and continuity of NIH research is essential to maintaining U.S. leadership in biomedical research and innovation and to ensuring that the fruits of this research keep American families safe.”
The Democratic delegation also requested details regarding the following:
- Existing safety protocols and standard operating procedures at IRF-Frederick to prevent and respond to exposures of pathogens, viruses, and other agents studied at the lab;
- The timeline of events leading up to the safety stand-down and actions taken by NIAID, NIH, and HHS leadership;
- The communications with the surrounding community and local officials, including emergency management and health department personnel regarding the alleged safety violation and implementation of the safety stand-down;
- The rationale for the research pause and projected timeline for resuming operations;
- The safety measures, training, and protocols in place to protect essential personnel maintaining the lab, animal models, and the Frederick community surrounding Fort Detrick;
- The status and timeline of the FBI investigation.
- They requested a full response from Kennedy and Bhattacharya by next Tuesday, June 17, 2025.
To see a full copy of the letter, signed by the entire Maryland congressional delegation with the exception of Rep. Andy Harris (R-1st District), click this link.
