Ex-CDC Chief Monarez Says RFK Jr. Politicized Vaccine Policy/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Former CDC Director Dr. Susan Monarez told senators that Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. required political sign-off on CDC vaccine policies and ordered her to fire staff without cause. She said she was dismissed after refusing to pre-approve vaccine recommendations without evidence. The testimony comes as a reshaped vaccine panel prepares to meet.
RFK Jr. Vaccine Policy Testimony Quick Looks
- Susan Monarez fired after just 29 days as CDC director.
- Testified Kennedy required political approval for all CDC policy and staffing.
- Ordered her to pre-approve vaccine recommendations without reviewing science.
- Directed her to fire career CDC staff without cause.
- Kennedy said childhood vaccine schedule would change in September.
- Claimed he was consulting Trump “every day” on vaccines.
- ACIP vaccine advisory panel was completely replaced in June.
- Some new members have spread unproven claims about vaccines.
- Panel meeting this week to discuss Covid-19, hepatitis B, MMRV vaccines.
- Monarez warned weakening protections could fuel preventable disease outbreaks.
- Cited measles resurgence — worst in 30 years, two children dead.
- Rand Paul grilled Monarez on hepatitis B and Covid vaccines.
Deep Look
Fired CDC Chief Testifies RFK Jr. Put Politics Over Science
WASHINGTON — Former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Dr. Susan Monarez told senators Wednesday that Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. undermined the agency’s scientific integrity by requiring political approval for vaccine policies and pressuring her to fire staff without cause.
Monarez, ousted in August after less than a month on the job, testified before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. She alleged Kennedy demanded she commit to approving all vaccine recommendations regardless of evidence and to dismiss key career officials overseeing immunization programs.
“I was fired for holding the line on scientific integrity,” Monarez said. “I had refused to commit to approving vaccine recommendations without evidence, fire career officials without cause, or resign.”
Kennedy’s office has not responded publicly to the allegations.
Directives From Kennedy
Monarez said Kennedy delivered his demands on August 25 in a heated meeting. According to her testimony:
- He ordered her to pre-approve all recommendations made by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).
- He demanded she fire vaccine policy experts without cause.
- He warned that the childhood vaccine schedule would change starting in September and told her to “be on board.”
- He claimed he spoke with President Donald Trump “every day” about the changes.
Monarez refused, saying such actions would compromise both her ethics and her oath of office.
“On August 25, I could have stayed silent, agreed to the demands, and no one would have known,” she told senators. “But I would have lost the one thing that cannot be replaced: my integrity.”
Surprised by ACIP Shakeup
Monarez also revealed that she first learned through media reports that Kennedy had dismissed liaison members of ACIP — the CDC’s independent vaccine advisory panel — in early August. The move blindsided her.
Kennedy had already removed all 17 members of ACIP in June, replacing them with new appointees, some of whom have publicly questioned vaccine safety without credible evidence. Five additional members were announced this week.
The new ACIP will meet Thursday and Friday to review Covid-19, hepatitis B, measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella vaccine recommendations.
Monarez expressed deep concern about the panel’s credibility.
“There is a real risk that recommendations could be made restricting access to vaccines for children and others in need without rigorous scientific review,” she said.
Public Health Stakes
The former director warned that weakened immunization standards could lead to deadly consequences.
She pointed to the worst measles outbreak in more than 30 years, which recently killed two children, as proof of the risks of eroding vaccine protections.
“The stakes are not theoretical,” she said. “If vaccine protections are weakened, preventable diseases will return.”
Senators Weigh In
Committee Republicans used the hearing to press Monarez on vaccine policies. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), a physician, questioned the CDC’s recommendation to vaccinate newborns against hepatitis B.
Paul said there is “no medical reason” for administering the shot at birth, while ACIP is expected to consider delaying it until age 4. Monarez responded that she was “open to the science” but refused to pre-commit to any outcome without reviewing evidence.
Other senators focused on Kennedy’s sweeping changes to CDC governance, saying they feared politics was overshadowing public health.
Wider Context
Monarez’s firing highlights the turbulence inside the nation’s top public health agency under Trump’s second administration. Her departure followed the resignation of Dr. Debra Houry, the CDC’s former chief medical officer, who stepped down in protest.
The turmoil comes as the CDC faces urgent challenges, including Covid-19 variants, resurgent measles, and ongoing debates over childhood vaccine schedules.
Critics argue Kennedy’s political influence is reshaping the CDC into a body less reliant on scientific consensus and more beholden to partisan agendas.
What’s Next
With no permanent CDC director in place, Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill is serving as acting director and will decide whether to implement ACIP’s upcoming recommendations.
Public health leaders warn the agency’s credibility is at stake.
“Vaccine policy must be guided by credible data, not predetermined outcomes,” Monarez told the panel.
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