What it does
CDC’s Public Health Image Library provides photographs and illustrations for education, publishing and visual research. Most images are public domain and free, while records identify protected material and provide creator credits.
Advanced Search can limit results to public-domain images and distinguish Creation Date from Upload Date. If you already have a PHIL number, Image ID Search returns the record directly. An image page includes its caption, provider, creation date and available high-resolution file size.
Download the large browsable JPEG for a small version, or use the high-resolution link when available. PHIL’s coronavirus illustration, ID 23311, lists a 27.03 MB high-resolution file and names its two illustrators.
Credit CDC and the named creator when redistributing an image, and identify the CDC website as the free source. PHIL is a historical collection, not current health guidance. A photograph of a model used beside an unrelated sensitive topic also needs the label “Stock photo. Posed by model.”
Strengths
- Rights and date filters help narrow a visual-research brief.
- Records identify creators and available high-resolution downloads.
Watch out for
- Historical images may depict practices that are no longer appropriate.
- Protected images require permission from the content provider.
Best for
- Public-health educators preparing visual materials
- Editors who need documented health and laboratory imagery
Sources
- Home | Public Health Image Library (Oct 27, 2026)
- Search Tips | Public Health Image Library (Oct 27, 2026)
- Details: PHIL ID 23311 | Public Health Image Library (Oct 27, 2026)
- Frequently Asked Questions | Public Health Image Library (Oct 27, 2026)