ATLANTA — Retired CDC doctors and other demonstrators gathered outside the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters in Atlanta, voicing frustration and concern following another round of federal layoffs.

Among them was a retired pediatrician who said she’s alarmed by what she describes as a growing lack of trust in science and the rise in preventable illnesses as a result.

“These things are not gone, they are just later looking for an opportunity,” she said, referencing outbreaks of diseases like measles and whooping cough. She added she’s heartbroken that whooping cough has killed children in at least three states this year.

Another demonstrator, an infectious diseases specialist, said attacks on the CDC harm not only employees but also the nation’s physical and mental health. “We need to get back to trusting in science and removing science from politics,” he said, describing the situation as “a nightmare” and expressing hope that “we as a nation will wake up from it.”

Some protestors carried signs reading, “Cuts to CDC make me sick.” They said the latest wave of layoffs has shaken morale among public health professionals and eroded confidence in the country’s disease prevention efforts.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said the most recent round of layoffs targeted workers deemed “non-essential.”

WSB’s Veronica Waters contributed to this story