U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Thursday he will “fix” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and ensure it more closely reflects President Donald Trump’s health agenda. The pledge came one day after the White House dismissed CDC Director Susan Monarez, who had served less than a month. The administration said Monarez was ousted for resisting its “Making America Healthy Again” program, while Monarez’s attorneys contend only the president can formally remove a Senate-confirmed official and maintain she remains in the post. In the past 24 hours, at least four other senior CDC officials—including Chief Medical Officer Debra Houry and immunization-chief Demetre Daskalakis—have resigned in protest. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Chair Bill Cassidy signaled the departures will draw committee oversight, and Kennedy is scheduled to testify before the panel next week. Lawmakers from both parties have questioned the secretary’s longstanding skepticism toward vaccines and the speed of the leadership shake-up. Since taking office this year, Kennedy has dismissed the CDC’s external vaccine advisory board, curtailed federal support for mRNA shots and limited broad access to updated Covid-19 boosters. Public-health groups warn the changes could undermine immunization campaigns and unsettle the roughly $77 billion global vaccine industry.
How RFK Jr. could exploit the CDC's power vacuum https://t.co/dattOnUvzs
US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. called Thursday for an overhaul of the nation's top public health agency, a day after its director was ousted and several senior leaders resigned. https://t.co/UHo7u925Eo
RFK Jr. to testify at Senate hearing in wake of CDC shakeup https://t.co/Kmnl2dkyCZ