New Acting Director of CDC Named

Last week, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), stepped into the acting director role at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Reuters reported. Bhattacharya will remain head of the NIH and serve as CDC director until President Donald Trump appoints a permanent leader. The CDC director also requires Senate confirmation.

Per federal law, Bhattacharya can act as CDC director only until late March unless Trump nominates a full-time nominee to the U.S. Senate.

Health and Human Services Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill, who has served as acting CDC director since August, will leave both roles as part of a department-wide leadership restructuring ahead of the midterm elections. O’Neill will move outside the agency to become the National Science Foundation director.

Bhattacharya gained prominence as a critic of lockdowns and widespread COVID-19 restrictions. He already leads the nation’s medical research agency, based in Maryland, overseeing a nearly US$50 billion budget and funding thousands of scientific projects. The CDC is based in Atlanta, and about two-thirds of its budget supports public health and prevention activities of state and local health agencies.

Meanwhile on Monday, Dr. Ralph Abraham said he would leave his position as principal deputy director, CNN reported.

As CMM previously reported, the CDC has faced significant turmoil, including budget cuts, staff reductions, and controversies under the leadership of Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime anti-vaccine activist.

Additionally, the CDC’s independent vaccine advisory committee will not meet this week as planned, CNN reported.