CDC Director Susan Monarez Ousted Less Than One Month After Confirmation

Susan Monarez, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was fired less than a month after being sworn in, making her the shortest-serving CDC director in the agency's history. Monarez, a scientist with a Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology, had been acting director since January 2025 before her Senate confirmation in late July. Her abrupt departure comes amid ongoing turmoil at the CDC, including a recent shooting on the agency's campus and significant vaccine policy changes led by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has withdrawn federal COVID vaccine recommendations for certain groups and replaced the CDC's vaccine advisory panel with critics of vaccines. Monarez canceled a planned CDC-wide safety meeting shortly before her firing, and no official reason has been given for her removal. President Trump praised Monarez at her nomination for her dedication to public health and pledged that she would work with Kennedy to restore trust and improve the nation's health system.