Director and Veteran Health Officials Exit the CDC

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) leadership was in turmoil last week after the Trump administration fired the agency’s director on Aug. 27 hours after she refused to resign under pressure, NBC News reported. Dr. Susan Monarez, who was sworn in as CDC director on July 31, resisted being removed by Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for political reasons. On Aug. 27, Dr Monarez’s lawyers issued a statement saying that she had chosen “protecting the public over serving a political agenda.”

At press time, CNN reported HHS Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill is expected to serve as the CDC’s acting director.

Consequently, several high-level veteran agency officials resigned from the agency, some citing frustration over vaccine policy and the leadership, the BBC reported. The health experts included:

• Debra Houry, CDC chief medical officer
• Daniel Jernigan, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases director
• Jennifer Layden, Office of Public Health Data, Surveillance and Technology director
• Demere Daskalakis, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases director

This upheaval follows the attack by a gunman on CDC’s headquarters in Atlanta earlier in August. The gunman believed he had been harmed by COVID-19 vaccines.

The CDC also has experienced numerous layoffs starting this spring, with at least 600 employees receiving final termination notices last month.

Additionally on Aug. 27, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved new COVID-19 vaccines but limited who could receive them. The vaccines will be available for all seniors, while younger adults and children without underlying health conditions will be excluded. Emergency use authorizations for COVID-19 vaccines are rescinded, according to RFK.

As CMM reported last week, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) published a new immunization schedule—which differs from recent recommendations made by the CDC as COVID-19 cases continue to increase. In June, RFK removed the 17-member Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and replaced them with eight vaccine skeptics.