Susan Monarez, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has been fired by the Trump administration after clashing with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over U.S. vaccination policy.
Monarez, a longtime health scientist, led the CDC for less than a month before her removal. She refused to resign, with her lawyers arguing that only the president could dismiss a Senate-confirmed officer.
The White House later confirmed her firing. Spokesperson Kush Desai said Monarez was “not aligned with the President’s agenda of Making America Healthy Again.”
Her attorneys disputed the action, calling it legally deficient. They insisted Monarez remains CDC director until the president personally removes her.
Reports revealed Kennedy pressured Susan Monarez to back controversial vaccine changes, which she rejected. Five senior CDC officials resigned in protest. The AFGE Local 2883 union, representing 2,000 CDC staff, warned that politics had forced scientists to abandon their posts.
CDC leaders who resigned included Demetre Daskalakis, Daniel Jernigan, and Debra Houry. Daskalakis declared he could not serve in an agency that spreads misinformation instead of protecting public health.
Since taking office, Kennedy has advanced divisive vaccine policies, including slashing research funding, restricting Covid-19 doses, and dismissing immunization specialists. Scientists condemned the moves as dangerous and politically driven.
Monarez’s firing comes amid turmoil at the CDC. Last month, the agency faced an armed attack from a man blaming vaccines for illness. Hundreds of current and former CDC employees signed an open letter accusing Kennedy of spreading misinformation and endangering public health.
