Article Summary:
The White House has fired Susan Monarez as the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) after she refused to resign amid pressure to change vaccine policy. Monarez’s lawyers accused the Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., of “weaponizing public health for political gain” and “putting millions of American lives at risk” by purging health officials from the government.
The firing comes after Monarez declined to support rescinding certain approvals for coronavirus vaccines, as demanded by Kennedy, who has a long history of anti-vaccine advocacy. Monarez refused to commit to changing vaccine policy without consulting her advisers, which prompted Kennedy to urge her to resign.
The leadership disruption at the CDC follows months of chaos, including budget cuts, the termination of hundreds of employees, and an attack on its Atlanta headquarters. After news of efforts to oust Monarez, at least three top CDC officials announced their resignations, citing lost funding, the political climate, and a broader attack on public health.
Public health advocates had hoped Monarez would be a check on Kennedy and block him from limiting access to vaccines. However, the White House has now formally fired Monarez, accusing her of not being aligned with the President’s “Making America Healthy Again” agenda.