What does CDC stand for? In the United States it stands for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the national public health agency. It tracks diseases, studies what makes people sick or hurt, and shares health guidance with doctors, states, schools and the public.
The CDC sits within the federal health department, known as HHS, and has its main campus in Atlanta, Georgia. You will see the letters on health advisories, vaccine schedules, travel notices, food safety alerts and news stories about outbreaks.
Quick facts
Stands for
Centers for Disease Control and PreventionType
Initialism, said C D CPart of
US Department of Health and Human ServicesHeadquarters
Atlanta, GeorgiaStarted
1946, as the Communicable Disease CenterUsed in
Health advisories, news, travel notices, school formsNot to be confused with
FDA, NIH, state health departments
What does CDC stand for, and why is there no P?
The agency's full name has five main words, yet the short form has only three letters:
| Letter | Word |
|---|---|
| C | Centers |
| D | Disease |
| C | Control |
| (none) | and Prevention |
The words "and Prevention" were added to the name in 1992. Congress asked the agency to keep the familiar initials, so it stayed CDC rather than becoming CDCP. That is why the letters and the name do not match exactly.
Where the name came from
The agency opened in Atlanta in 1946 as the Communicable Disease Center. Its early work grew out of efforts to control malaria in the American South. Over the years its mission widened from infectious disease to chronic illness, injuries, workplace safety and environmental health, and the name changed to match:
- Communicable Disease Center
- Center for Disease Control
- Centers for Disease Control, plural, as it split into several centers
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Through all those changes, the initials stayed C D C.
What the CDC does
The CDC is mostly a science and guidance agency. Its main jobs include:
- Tracking disease: collecting reports from states and labs to spot outbreaks early.
- Investigating outbreaks: sending disease detectives to find the source of an illness, such as a contaminated food.
- Publishing guidance: recommended vaccine schedules, infection control steps for hospitals and health advice for travelers.
- Collecting health data: national statistics on births, deaths and common conditions.
- Supporting states: funding and training for state and local health departments.
On a school health form: "Immunizations should follow the current CDC schedule." This points parents to the agency's recommended timing for childhood vaccines. Each state still sets its own school entry rules.
CDC vs FDA, NIH and local health departments
Several health agencies have short names, and their jobs differ.
- CDC: tracks and prevents disease and gives public health guidance.
- FDA, Food and Drug Administration: approves and regulates drugs, vaccines, medical devices and much of the food supply.
- NIH, National Institutes of Health: funds and runs medical research.
- State and county health departments: carry out public health work locally, such as restaurant inspections and local case tracking.
A simple way to keep them apart: the FDA decides whether a product can be sold, the NIH studies how diseases work, and the CDC watches how diseases spread through communities. For more federal names, see the government acronyms list.
Other meanings of CDC
Most of the time CDC means the health agency, but a few other fields use the same letters.
| Field | Stands for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Military families | Child Development Center | Base childcare at the CDC |
| Data engineering | Change data capture | A CDC pipeline copies database updates |
| Public health | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention | A CDC travel notice |
How to say and write CDC
Say it letter by letter, "C D C." Capitals only, and no periods between letters. In sentences, people usually put "the" in front: "the CDC recommends," "according to the CDC." Use "a" before it when needed, as in "a CDC report." Spell out the full name once in formal writing, then switch to the letters. The acronym basics guide covers why letter sets like this are called initialisms.
Questions people ask
What does CDC stand for in medical terms?
Doctors and nurses use CDC for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Doctors and hospitals use its guidance on infection control, testing and vaccines.
Why is it not called CDCP?
When "and Prevention" was added to the name, Congress asked that the well known CDC initials be kept. So the official name grew, but the short form did not.
Where is the CDC located?
Its headquarters are in Atlanta, Georgia. It also has offices and labs in other US cities and staff working in many countries.
Does the CDC make laws?
No. Congress passes laws, and states set many health rules such as school vaccine requirements. The CDC studies health threats and issues guidance and recommendations, and it has some specific powers set by federal law, such as rules on certain diseases at the border.
What does CDC stand for on a military base?
On a base, CDC usually means Child Development Center, the childcare program for service members' young children. It is not connected to the health agency.