CDC Director Susan Monarez Fired Amid Vaccine Policy Clash

Susan Monarez, the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), was fired just weeks after her Senate confirmation, following a public dispute with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over vaccine policies.

The sudden move, first reported by The Washington Post, has thrown the CDC into chaos, with four top officials stepping down in protest.

Monarez, who took office on July 31, 2025, as the CDC’s first Senate-confirmed director, was seen as a strong pick for the role. With a background in disaster preparedness, biosecurity, and health innovation from her time at the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) and the National Security Council, she was expected to lead the Trump administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” initiative. But her clash with Kennedy, a vocal vaccine skeptic, over the direction of vaccine policies led to her swift exit.

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The fallout was immediate. Four senior CDC leaders—Chief Medical Officer Debra Houry, Demetre Daskalakis (head of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases), Daniel Jernigan (National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases), and Jennifer Layden (Office of Public Health Data)—resigned, citing concerns about the politicization of public health under Kennedy’s leadership.

Monarez, backed by attorneys Mark Zaid and Abbe Lowell, initially resisted stepping down, saying she hadn’t been formally fired. However, White House Deputy Press Secretary Kush Desai later confirmed her termination. The controversy comes at a tough time, with a major measles outbreak hitting Texas and New Mexico, reporting 370 cases.

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Many within the Department of Health and Human Services have criticized Kennedy, accusing him of undermining the nation’s public health system. Monarez’s supporters point to her dedication to science and fair healthcare access, which she emphasized during her Senate hearing. Her departure leaves the CDC without a leader, a rare and troubling gap as the agency faces ongoing health crises.

No replacement has been named, leaving the CDC’s next steps unclear as it grapples with public health challenges.