A significant shake-up at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has led to several high-ranking officials resigning just hours after the agency’s director, Susan Monarez, was ousted from her position.
Monarez’s departure, which came less than a month after her confirmation by the Senate, has raised questions about the reasons behind her removal. According to agencies, three senior officials, including the CDC’s chief medical officer, have also stepped down in the wake of her exit.
The resignations come as health experts express concern about the CDC’s handling of immunisation strategies under the guidance of US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, who is sceptical of vaccines.
On Monday, Monarez had cancelled an agency-wide meeting, because she had been called to Washington DC. The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) expressed support, posting on X that Kennedy “has full confidence” in the CDC team, which will continue to work towards safeguarding Americans against infectious diseases.
Following the announcement, Monarez’s lawyer, Mark Zaid, claimed that his client had not resigned or been informed of her dismissal. Zaid also revealed that Monarez had refused to comply with “unscientific, reckless directives” and had chosen to protect the public rather than serve an agenda. “She chose protecting the public over serving an agenda,” he said.
Monarez, a long-time federal scientist, was nominated by US President Donald Trump to lead the CDC, and was confirmed in a Senate vote in July. It came after Trump withdrew his initial pick, former Congressman Dave Weldon, due to his views on vaccines and autism.
In the aftermath of Monarez’s removal, at least three senior CDC leaders announced their resignation. Daniel Jernigan, head of the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, resigned, citing “the current context in the Department.”
CDC Chief Medical Officer Debra Houry and Demetre Deskalakis, who led the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, also stepped down. Some news reports also mention that Jennifer Layden, the director of the Office of Public Health Data, Surveillance and Technology, resigned as well.
In her resignation letter, Houry expressed concerns about the “rise of misinformation” surrounding vaccines and warned that planned budget cuts to the CDC would significantly affect the agency’s work. Deskalakis stated that he could no longer serve “because of the ongoing weaponising of public health.”
Earlier on Wednesday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved new Covid vaccines, restricting eligibility to senior citizens while excluding younger adults and children without underlying conditions. Robert F Kennedy Jr, in a post on X, remarked, “The emergency use authorizations for Covid vaccines, once used to justify broad mandates on the general public during the Biden administration, are now rescinded.”
Susan Monarez, who was the first CDC director in 50 years without a medical degree, came from a background in infectious disease research. During her month as leader, she offered support to CDC employees after the agency’s headquarters in Atlanta was attacked by a gunman who believed he had been harmed by Covid vaccines. The attack, which resulted in one police officer’s death, involved hundreds of bullets striking the building.
Earlier this month, current and former CDC employees wrote an open letter accusing Kennedy of inciting violence against healthcare workers with his anti-vaccine rhetoric.
Monarez’s resignation came shortly after a union for CDC employees announced around 600 employees were fired, many of whom had been working on the government’s response to infectious diseases like bird flu and environmental hazards.