The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it would join a conference hosted by the World Health Organization in apparent defiance of President Donald Trump's executive order.

The United States is no longer submitting its data on flu cases to the World Health Organization after President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Jan. 20. Scientist Angela Rasmussen says it is important to have American data because it is the most populous country in North America and where the majority of flu spread happens.

The US withdrawal will not officially happen until January 2026, so there will be months of uncertainty over budgets and strategic direction at the near-80-year-old agency. Set up by the United Nations, the organization’s goals include expanding universal health coverage and coordinating the world’s response to health emergencies.

President Trump on Wednesday signed an executive order designed to reinforce an older executive order issued during his first term that requires hospital to publish their prices online, a rule