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RFK Jr’s actions have greatly diminished US ability to respond to outbreaks, ousted CDC officials say RFK Jr’s actions have greatly diminished US ability to respond to outbreaks, ousted CDC officials say
(about 2 hours later)
Former officials testify before US Senate, saying the CDC under Kennedy is ‘supporting policies not based in science’Former officials testify before US Senate, saying the CDC under Kennedy is ‘supporting policies not based in science’
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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).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. 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. 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. 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.
“He said if I was unwilling to do both, I should resign. I responded that I could not pre-approve recommendations without reviewing the evidence, and I had no basis to fire scientific experts,” Monarez believes that’s the true reason she was fired, she said. “He said if I was unwilling to do both, I should resign. I responded that I could not pre-approve recommendations without reviewing the evidence, and I had no basis to fire scientific experts,” Monarez believes that’s the true reason she was fired, she said.
The CDC’s vaccine advisory committee, ACIP, which has been replaced with Kennedy’s handpicked advisers, will meet on Thursday and Friday. Kennedy was “very upset” and “very tense” in their meeting, and he spoke of the CDC and its employees in a “hurtful and disparaging” manner, Monarez said.
“Based on what I observed during my tenure, there is a real risk that recommendations could be made restricting access to vaccines for children and others in need, without rigorous scientific review. With no permanent CDC director in place, those recommendations could be adopted,” Monarez said. “He called, in that context, CDC the most corrupt federal agency in the world. He emphasized that CDC employees were horrible people,” she said.
“The stakes are not theoretical. We already have seen the largest measles outbreak in more than 30 years, which claimed the lives of two children. If vaccine protections are weakened, preventable diseases will return.” “He said that CDC employees were killing children, and they don’t care.”
Also on 25 August, Monarez said Kennedy told her “the childhood vaccine schedule would be changing starting in September, and I needed to be on board with it”. She said Kennedy had the support of the Trump White House, with Kennedy claiming to her that “he spoke to the President every day about changing the childhood vaccine schedule”. The CDC’s vaccine advisory committee, ACIP, which has been replaced with Kennedy’s handpicked advisers, will meet on Thursday and Friday.
Debra Houry also testified to seeing political interference. “Based on what I observed during my tenure, there is a real risk that recommendations could be made restricting access to vaccines for children and others in need, without rigorous scientific review. With no permanent CDC director in place, those recommendations could be adopted,” Monarez said.
“I resigned because CDC leaders were reduced to rubber stamps, supporting policies not based in science, and putting American lives at risk. Secretary Kennedy censored CDC science, politicized its processes and stripped leaders of independence,” Houry said. “The stakes are not theoretical. We already have seen the largest measles outbreak in more than 30 years, which claimed the lives of two children. If vaccine protections are weakened, preventable diseases will return.”
Also on 25 August, Monarez said Kennedy told her “the childhood vaccine schedule would be changing starting in September, and I needed to be on board with it”. She said Kennedy had the support of the Trump White House, with Kennedy claiming to her that “he spoke to the President every day about changing the childhood vaccine schedule”.
Cassidy recently called for an indefinite postponement of the ACIP meeting.
“If the meeting proceeds, any recommendations made should be rejected as lacking legitimacy given the seriousness of the allegations and the current turmoil in CDC leadership,” Cassidy, who is a physician, said on 28 August.
Debra Houry also testified to seeing political interference.
“I resigned because CDC leaders were reduced to rubber stamps, supporting policies not based in science, and putting American lives at risk. Secretary Kennedy censored CDC science, politicized its processes and stripped leaders of independence,” Houry said.
Approximately 80% of center directors are now acting because career officials have been fired, resigned or retired, Houry said.
These unprecedented changes come as the CDC and its employees face violence and threats. On 8 August, a shooter unloaded more than 500 rounds on the CDC headquarters, with 180 bullets hitting the building.
“Each bullet was meant for a person,” Houry said, noting that her staff was “very traumatized”.
Some of her staff will now not put their names on scientific reports on vaccines to protect themselves and their families.
“Even at the ACIP meeting, you’ll notice we don’t have our subject matter experts presenting anymore. It’s taken up to a leadership level, because we did that to protect our staff and scientists, so that they would be disconnected and their names not associated, so that they won’t be targeted,” she said.
Houry first learned that Kennedy had changed the CDC’s Covid vaccine guidance in a Twitter/X post.
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“CDC scientists have still not seen the scientific data or justification for this change,” she said.
Houry testified that she has never briefed the secretary, nor have her center directors – even as the worst measles outbreak in decades unfolded. She also pushed back on misinformation from the secretary: “He said things like vaccines had fetal parts, and I had to send a note to our leadership team to correct that misinformation. We were also asked to include things like budesonide and clarithromycin in our toolkits for physicians, and I couldn’t allow that, as there wasn’t evidence for that and would result in harm.”
The new restrictions on Covid vaccines have led to chaos and confusion with the updated vaccine rollout, though Kennedy testified before the finance committee on 4 September that “anybody can get the booster.”
“My mom lives in Virginia, and she was unable to get it,” Houry said.
The HHS also interfered with information about thimerosal (also known as thiomersal), a preservative demonstrated to be safe, and allowed an “unvetted presentation” on thimerosal to occur in the June ACIP meeting, she said.
“That kind of last-minute alteration undermines confidence and the deliberations that follow,” Houry said.
The vaccine advisers ultimately voted to ban thimerosal, which is used in about 4% of flu vaccines in the US. If vaccine-preventable diseases are allowed to continue rising, “it’s going to be heartbreaking,” Houry said.
Monarez said: “I have worked for political appointees and politicians for almost 20 years, and my experience has been, when it comes to critical and important issues like science and medicine, data has always been paramount, and it has always been the core driver to how we work together.”
Houry said she’s “concerned about the future of CDC and public health in our country.
“We are not prepared, not just for pandemics, but for preventing chronic health disease, and we’re going to see kids dying of vaccine-preventable diseases,” she continued.
Kennedy said in the finance committee hearing a few weeks ago that Monarez told him she was untrustworthy. But Monarez said in Wednesday’s hearing: “He told me he could not trust me because I had shared information related to our conversation beyond his staff. I told him, if you cannot trust me, then you can fire me.”
Monarez and Houry have “raised serious allegations that strike at the core of the CDC’s credibility. The allegations need to be scrutinized,” said Bill Cassidy, a Republican from Louisiana who chairs the committee, in his opening remarks.
The issue under debate on Wednesday went beyond the circumstances of Monarez’s and Houry’s departure, said senator Bernie Sanders.
“It is about Secretary Kennedy’s dangerous war on science, public health and the truth itself. It is absurd to have to say this in the year 2025, but vaccines are safe and effective.”
On 2 August, Monarez testified, she learned from media reports that experts serving as representatives to ACIP had been removed from the committee’s working groups. On 19 August, she said she was told she needed prior approval from political staff for CDC policy and personnel decisions.