Susan Monarez does not support President Donald Trump's endeavor to "make the US healthy again" – and furthermore, she refused to resign voluntarily. Therefore, she has now been dismissed, according to the White House spokesperson Kush Desai.
Monarez, a researcher specialized in infectious diseases, was sworn in as CDC chief just over a month ago. According to sources for American media, she quickly clashed with Health Minister Robert F Kennedy, not least regarding the US's new vaccination policy under Trump's rule.
"Reckless directives"
"When CDC chief Susan Monarez refused to approve unscientific, reckless directives and to fire dedicated health experts, she chose to protect the public rather than serve a political agenda. For that, she has been targeted", her lawyers state in a statement, according to AP.
Four more senior officials within CDC have recently resigned, writes The New York Times. The reason is said to be frustration over the changed vaccination policy and Kennedy's leadership, under which the agency has been affected by major cuts and reorganizations.
Appointed vaccine skeptics
In June, Kennedy, who has long been one of the US's most prominent vaccine skeptics, fired all members of a scientific committee that provides vaccine advice to CDC. They were replaced with a group consisting of the health minister's "personal choices", including several well-known vaccine skeptics.
The new council includes, among others, the Swedish epidemiologist Martin Kulldorff. In 2024, he was fired from a professorship at Harvard, allegedly due to his stance on lockdowns and vaccine requirements.
