Doctor presses HHS to direct CDC on civilian Havana Syndrome response

Len Ber, MD, sent an open letter to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. asking federal health agencies to treat Havana Syndrome as a civilian public health issue, not just a federal personnel problem. The letter comes as Ber’s lawsuit against CDC faces a government motion to dismiss and as the case moves toward an Oct. 26 response deadline.

Why it matters: - Len Ber, MD, is asking HHS to force CDC and NIH to address Havana Syndrome in civilians, which could reshape how the condition is tracked, studied and treated in the U.S. - The request centers on public health access, not just national security or federal employee care. - Ber argues that civilians with diagnosed cases should be counted and studied alongside federal personnel.

What happened: - Ber published an open letter to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Oct. 7, 2026. - The letter says CDC declined to act on Ber’s 2025 petition to treat Havana Syndrome as a civilian public health matter. - CDC reportedly forwarded the petition to NIH, and the letter says NIH has not responded. - Ber is a plaintiff in BER v. CDC, a lawsuit filed June 23, 2026, in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida. - Government attorneys filed a motion to dismiss the case on Oct. 5, 2026.

The details: - Ber describes Havana Syndrome as a novel medical condition that has mainly been treated as a spy, military and federal story. - The letter says federal agencies have already developed diagnostic guidance, clinical recommendations and care programs for affected federal personnel. - Ber maintains a registry of civilians whose Havana Syndrome has been diagnosed by expert physicians. - Ber asked Kennedy to direct CDC and NIH to take five steps. - Those steps are to publish a Havana Syndrome case definition in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. - Ber also wants CDC to establish a civilian reporting mechanism. - Ber wants Havana Syndrome added to national surveillance. - Ber wants NIH to open a civilian Havana Syndrome research program with a funding opportunity. - Ber also wants HHS to name a Havana Syndrome coordinator. - Ber wrote that none of the requests require new legislation and none of them prejudge cause or attribution. - The lawsuit seeks diagnostic guidance, surveillance and equal access to research and treatment for civilians with Havana Syndrome. - Plaintiffs’ response to the motion to dismiss is due Oct. 26, 2026. - The public docket is available from the Civil Rights Litigation Clearinghouse at the public docket. - The full letter is available on X at the open letter.

Between the lines: - Ber is trying to move the issue from a disputed federal-benefits question into a broader public health framework. - The timing suggests the letter is meant to support the litigation while also pushing the executive branch to act before the court rules on jurisdiction. - The argument hinges on a simple premise: if federal employees have systems for diagnosis and care, civilians with the same diagnosis should not be left out.

What's next: - HHS can respond directly to the letter or leave the issue to the courts. - CDC and NIH could adopt one or more of the five requested actions without new legislation, if the agencies choose to move. - The next near-term court milestone is the plaintiffs’ Oct. 26 response to the motion to dismiss. - The court’s handling of subject matter jurisdiction will shape whether BER v. CDC moves forward.

The bottom line: - Ber is asking HHS to turn Havana Syndrome into a civilian public health priority while the legal fight over CDC’s duty to act plays out in court.