(In the U.S) CDC Chief Fired After Weeks in Role as Four Senior Officials Resign

The White House confirmed that Susan Monarez, Director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was dismissed less than a month into her tenure. Officials claimed she was not aligned with President Donald Trump’s health agenda, though Monarez and her lawyers denied she had resigned or been legitimately fired, accusing Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. of targeting her for rejecting “unscientific directives.”

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Kennedy has overseen sweeping policy shifts since his appointment, including withdrawing recommendations for COVID-19 vaccines for pregnant women and children, and replacing the CDC’s independent vaccine advisory panel with his own hand-picked advisers, some with anti-vaccine ties. These moves have drawn heavy criticism from public health experts. Monarez, a scientist confirmed by the Senate in July, had openly stated during her confirmation hearing that she saw no evidence linking vaccines to autism, clashing with Kennedy’s long-promoted discredited claims.

The White House’s statement emphasized Monarez’s lack of alignment with its vision but gave no details. Monarez’s lawyers vowed she would not step aside voluntarily, framing her dismissal as part of an effort to weaken scientific integrity at the CDC.

Alongside Monarez’s ouster, four senior CDC officials resigned in protest. Among them were Chief Medical Officer Debra Houry, National Immunization Director Demetre Daskalakis, Zoonotic Diseases Director Daniel Jernigan, and Data Director Jen Layden. In their resignation letters, they cited rising health misinformation, direct attacks on science, politicization of public health, and budget cuts as key reasons for leaving.

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Houry pointed to the highest number of U.S. measles cases in 30 years as evidence of how misinformation and weakened vaccination programs have endangered lives. Daskalakis condemned current vaccine recommendations as harmful, warning they risk returning the country to a “pre-vaccine era where only the strong survive.”

The turmoil follows months of upheaval at the CDC, including mass layoffs under Kennedy’s restructuring plan, a proposed $3.6 billion budget cut by the Trump administration, and even a violent shooting at CDC headquarters earlier this month. Critics, including former officials, describe the resignations as devastating, removing leaders who shielded CDC scientists from political interference.

Kennedy continues to push controversial changes, promising new announcements on autism policy in September. For many in public health, the crisis reflects an ongoing struggle between scientific guidance and political agendas.

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