CDC Director Susan Monarez Removed After Refusing to Resign, Sparking Agency Chaos

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was thrown into turmoil Wednesday evening when the Department of Health and Human Services announced the removal of Director Susan Monarez, who had been sworn in less than a month ago.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced in an unsigned social media post that Susan Monarez “is no longer director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,” adding thanks for her service but offering no details about the decision.

Monarez’s lawyers, Mark Zaid and Abbe David Lowell, told the Associated Press that she had neither resigned nor received official notice of termination. “Dr. Monarez has not stepped down and has not been notified by the White House of any dismissal. As a person devoted to science and integrity, she will not resign,” they said.

Her legal team linked the move to her opposition to vaccine policy changes proposed by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Reports from the Washington Post and New York Times said Monarez declined to back significant revisions to U.S. vaccination policy.

White House Deputy Press Secretary Kush Desai later stated: “Since Susan Monarez refused to resign despite telling HHS leadership of her intent to do so, the White House has ended her tenure at the CDC.”

The dismissal led to a wave of departures at the agency. Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, head of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, stepped down citing the “weaponizing of public health.” Dr. Deb Houry, CDC’s chief medical officer, also resigned, writing that “science at CDC should never be censored or delayed for political reasons.” Daniel Jernigan, director of the Center for Emerging Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, likewise left his post.

The shake-up coincided with the FDA’s decision to revoke emergency use authorization for COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax. Going forward, the vaccines will be limited to adults 65 and older or younger people with underlying health conditions that increase their risk of severe disease.

Monarez, 50, served as the agency’s 21st director and was the first to undergo Senate confirmation under a 2023 law. She was named acting director in January, nominated in March after Trump withdrew his initial choice David Weldon, and sworn in on July 31. Her tenure of less than a month makes her the shortest-serving CDC director in the agency’s 79-year history.

The CDC, established in 1946, serves as the nation’s primary public health agency and plays a critical role in disease surveillance, outbreak response, and health policy guidance.