Susan Monarez, confirmed as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director in July 2025, refused to resign on Wednesday after reports of her removal sparked a major public health controversy.
HHS Announces Controversial Firing Amid Vaccine Policy Dispute
The Department of Health and Human Services announced on X around 5:30 p.m. EST that "Susan Monarez is no longer director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention."
Hours later, Monarez's attorney, Mark Zaid, issued a statement defending her stance.
"When CDC Director Susan Monarez refused to rubber-stamp unscientific, reckless directives and fire dedicated health experts, she chose protecting the public over serving a political agenda, For that, she has been targeted" Zaid said.
"Dr. Monarez has neither resigned nor received notification from the White House that she has been fired, and as a person of integrity and devoted to science, she will not resign."
CDC Officials Resign, Citing Political Interference And Threats To Public Health
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. reportedly asked Monarez to step down Monday amid tensions over vaccine policy, according to The New York Times.
Monarez's outreach to Senate Health Committee Chair Bill Cassidy reportedly aggravated the situation. In response, four senior CDC officials resigned, citing political interference.
CDC Chief Medical Officer Debra Houry wrote, "For the good of the nation and the world, the science at CDC should never be censored or subject to political interpretations. Vaccines save lives — this is an indisputable, well-established, scientific fact."
Sanders Demands Senate Hearing On Kennedy's Actions
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt) posted on X on the support of CDC Director Monarez, condemning HHS Secretary Kennedy Jr. for trying to remove her only weeks into the role.
"It's outrageous that Sec. Kennedy is trying to fire the CDC Director — after only a few weeks on the job — for her commitment to public health & vaccines," Sanders wrote Wednesday.
Kennedy Jr. Faces Backlash As Former CDC Staff Warn Of Rising Vaccine Hostility
Earlier this month, a group of former CDC employees accused Kennedy Jr. of vilifying the agency's workforce through "continuous lies about science and vaccine safety," which they said fueled hostility and mistrust.
The group, known as Fired But Fighting, told the shooting was targeted and urged federal officials to push back against vaccine misinformation, warning it endangered scientists.
Meanwhile, the FDA reportedly informed Pfizer that it may not renew the emergency use authorization for its pediatric COVID-19 vaccine for the 2025 respiratory season.
Last week, HHS announced the cancellation of 22 vaccine development projects worth $500 million.
Kennedy Jr. said the contracts for mRNA-based vaccines targeting COVID-19, flu, and H5N1 were terminated because the platform was unsafe and ineffective.
However, NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya disagreed, telling STAT News the cancellations stemmed from low public demand. He said declining COVID-19 booster uptake showed people were unwilling to embrace mRNA-based vaccines.
"As far as public health goes, the mRNA platform for vaccines was no longer viable," Bhattacharya said.
CDC | Photo courtesy: JHVEPhoto / Shutterstock.com
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
