Kennedy Ousts CDC Director, Demands Agency Align with Trump’s Health Agenda

The Trump administration has initiated a significant overhaul of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), following the firing of CDC Director Susan Monarez and the resignation of several top officials. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. criticized the CDC for its previous focus on vaccines, water fluoridation, and abortion, and emphasized the need for the agency to align with President Trump's "Make America Healthy Again" agenda. Monarez resisted directives related to vaccine policy, including demands to accept recommendations from a newly appointed vaccine advisory committee aligned with Kennedy's views, leading to her dismissal which her attorneys contest as illegal. The resigning officials cited concerns over rising health misinformation, attacks on science, and attempts to cut the CDC’s budget. Kennedy has also replaced the CDC's expert vaccine advisory panel with members sharing his skeptical stance on vaccines, reflecting a broader effort by the Trump administration to assert control over previously independent federal agencies. Congressional oversight is anticipated in response to these high-profile departures and rapid changes at the CDC.