The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been plunged into chaos after its director, Susan Monarez, was ousted by the Trump administration.
Monarez, who was sworn in just last month, refused to resign, with her lawyers stating she was being “targeted” for her pro-science stance.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced her removal without explanation, saying “Susan Monarez is no longer director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We thank her for her dedicated service to the American people.”
Monarez’s lawyers pushed back, stating she had “neither resigned nor received notification” from the White House of her termination.
They claimed she was targeted for refusing to support “unscientific” directives and fire dedicated health experts. “When CDC Director Susan Monarez refused to rubber-stamp unscientific, reckless directives and fire dedicated health experts, she chose protecting the public over serving a political agenda. For that, she has been targeted,” her lawyers, Mark Zaid and Abbe David Lowell, said.
The ousting has triggered a wave of departures within the agency, with at least three other CDC leaders publicly resigning.
Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, wrote in his resignation letter, “I am not able to serve in this role any longer because of the ongoing weaponizing of public health. You are the best team I have ever worked with, and you continue to shine despite this dark cloud over the agency and our profession.”
Dr. Deb Houry, the chief medical officer, echoed similar concerns, stating, “For the good of the nation and the world, the science at CDC should never be censored or subject to political pauses or interpretations.”
The controversy surrounding Monarez’s ousting is linked to her refusal to support sweeping changes to US vaccine policies, which some critics have labeled “unscientific.”
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the US health secretary, had praised the FDA’s decision to revoke emergency use authorization for Covid-19 vaccines manufactured by Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax. These vaccines had been estimated to save 3.2 million lives in the United States.
Public health experts are sounding the alarm about the chaos at the CDC. Dr. Craig Spencer, an emergency medicine doctor and professor at Brown University School of Public Health, described the situation as “pure chaos that leaves the country unprepared.”
Dr. Jonathan Reiner, a cardiologist and professor of medicine at George Washington University, observed that “RFK, Jr is increasingly becoming a liability for the White House.”
Dr. Ashish Jha, the Biden administration’s coronavirus response coordinator, wrote, “there is a wholesale destruction of leadership at the CDC. The newly confirmed Director is out… Total implosion. All because of [Secretary Kennedy’s] leadership. What a complete disaster.”
Monarez’s tenure as CDC director was marked by controversy, with some critics questioning her suitability for the role. Despite being confirmed by the Senate just last month, she has been at the center of a storm, with her ousting highlighting the deep divisions within the agency.
