Three Top CDC Officials Resign After Director Ousted Over Vaccine Policy Dispute

Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, former director of the CDC’s Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, resigned in protest following President Donald Trump’s firing of CDC director Susan Monarez amid clashes over vaccine policy changes led by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. In his resignation letter, Daskalakis included his pronouns and used the term 'pregnant people' instead of women, defying Trump administration rules banning such practices among federal employees. He stated these changes threaten the lives of young Americans and pregnant people and framed his actions as a rejection of efforts to erase identities. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt criticized Daskalakis’s language, but he dismissed her remarks. Senator Rand Paul and other GOP figures harshly criticized Daskalakis, attacking his lifestyle and suitability for government service. Daskalakis has since spoken out against Kennedy’s policies, warning of harm due to the administration’s vaccine policy overhaul.