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The director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Dr. Susan Monarez, has been dismissed by the White House just one month after taking office. In a parting statement, she accused Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Of “weaponising public health,” highlighting growing tensions within the nation’s top health agency.
The White House explained Monarez’s firing by saying she was “not aligned with the president’s agenda.” Her attorneys, however, argued she was being pushed out because she refused “to rubber-stamp unscientific, reckless directives.”
The move triggered a wave of resignations among senior CDC leaders. At least three top officials have left the agency in recent days, underscoring internal turmoil over vaccine policy and Kennedy’s leadership.
Among those stepping down was Chief Medical Officer Debra Houry, who warned of the “rise of misinformation” around vaccines in a letter obtained by CBS News. She also objected to planned budget cuts targeting the CDC.
Daniel Jernigan, head of the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, resigned citing “the current context in the department.” Demetre Daskalakis, who led the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, also quit, saying he could no longer serve “because of the ongoing weaponising of public health.” Reports from NBC News indicate Dr. Jennifer Layden, director of the Office of Public Health Data, Surveillance and Technology, has also left.
Monarez, a long-time federal scientist with a background in infectious disease research, was nominated by President Donald Trump after his first choice, former Congressman Dave Weldon, withdrew under criticism for controversial views on vaccines and autism. The Senate confirmed Monarez along party lines in July, making her the first CDC director in 50 years without a medical degree.
Tensions between Monarez and Kennedy reportedly stemmed from vaccine policy. Kennedy, a vocal vaccine skeptic, has overseen significant shifts in federal immunization guidelines. On Wednesday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved new Covid vaccines but restricted eligibility to seniors and individuals with underlying conditions. “The emergency use authorizations for Covid vaccines, once used to justify broad mandates on the general public during the Biden administration, are now rescinded,” Kennedy wrote on X.
Monarez’s brief tenure included guiding staff through a traumatic incident when a gunman, angry over Covid vaccines, attacked CDC headquarters in Atlanta earlier this month. Hundreds of bullets struck the building, killing a police officer. The assault fueled concerns that Kennedy’s rhetoric is emboldening hostility toward health officials.
Her ouster follows a wave of layoffs at the CDC. Roughly 600 employees were dismissed this month, many of them working on infectious disease response, environmental health, and public records. An open letter from current and former CDC staff accused Kennedy of endangering healthcare workers by stoking anti-vaccine sentiment.
Monarez’s departure, coupled with the exodus of top agency leaders, has left one of the world’s foremost public health institutions facing uncertainty at a time when infectious disease threats continue to mount.
