RFK Jr's actions have greatly diminished US ability to respond to outbreaks, ousted CDC officials say
Source: The Guardian
Actions taken by Robert F Kennedy Jr under the Trump administration have greatly diminished the ability of the US to respond to outbreaks and infectious disease threats, according to recently ousted officials with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The two former top officials testified at a hearing on Wednesday before the Senate HELP (Health, Education, Labor and Pensions) committee.
Susan Monarez, the CDC director chosen by Kennedy, was fired after less than a month. Debra Houry, chief medical officer at the CDC, resigned after serving under six CDC directors during both Republican and Democratic administrations.
On the morning of 25 August, Kennedy demanded that Monarez “commit in advance to approving every ACIP recommendation, regardless of the scientific evidence”, she testified. He also directed her to dismiss career officials responsible for vaccine policy without cause, she said.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/sep/17/rfk-jr-senate-hearing-cdc-susan-monarez
= new reply since forum marked as read
In spite of being confirmed on a straight partisan vote, the CDC Director never swayed from follow the science. And more importantly, IMHO, she acknowledged that with time, new learnings create new science and sometimes that new science creates challenges to old science. That doesn't make the old scientists wrong, stupid, or partisan...it just means we've learned more and we need to incorporate that learning into our future paths.
Honestly, I don't give a hoot about her politics...after listening to her (and the Chief Medical Officer) testify this morning...I want them making public health decisions for us.
IMHO from listening to about an hour or so of testimony.
