Former directors (CDCs) of Disease Control and Prevention Centers (CDC) on Monday, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy reprimanded for Junior. Their leadership For more agency His decision To set his director, Susan Monarez on fire.
In A New York Times OddNine former CDC director and acting director – who has served under every administration since former President Carter – played the alarm about the changes Kennedy in the CDC, which he described as dangerous.
“Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Junior has done what has done for the CDC and our country’s public health system in the last several months – Dr. Susan Monarez has been finished in his decision to set fire to CDC as director of CDC – we have seen anything in the agency, and our country has ever experienced,” he has written.
Former CDC leaders expressed concern about the “broad impact” of Kennedy’s decisions in the agency. Firing Thousands of health workers, Cancellation of investment In medical research, Experts place On advisory committees, to eliminate support for global vaccination programs.
He expressed special concern about the expulsion of Monarez last week, due to which it happened At least four other top CDC officials resigned His positions, accused of appreciating Monarez for making public health weapons and standing for science.
“When Secretary Kennedy administered the oath of office to Dr. Monarez on 31 July, he called him ‘a public health expert with a public health expert.” But when he refused to rub his dangerous and baseless vaccine recommendations after weeks or paid attention to his demand to set fire to senior members of the CDC staff, he decided that he was worth spending, “he wrote in this piece.
“This is not a specific request from a health secretary to a CDC director. Not even close,” he continued. “None of us will agree on the demands of the secretary, and we appreciate Dr. Monarez for standing for the health of the agency and our communities.”
The hill reached HHS to comment about the op-add.
Former CDC directors also appreciated the agency employees, “who continue to do bravery in front of the encouraging circumstances, said,” Their ongoing dedication is a model for all of us. ,
“But it is clear that the agency is hurting badly. The loss of Dr. Monarez and other top leaders will make it more difficult for the CDC to work for the CDC for about 80 years, to work around the clock to save Americans from their lives and health hazards,” he continued.
The group asked the government and other areas of public health to “rally to protect the health of every American”, in which the Congress to increase its inspection authority, to the state and local governments, to increase funding gaps, to increase the community investment for philanthropy and private sector and “to look out for each other.”
“Men and women who have joined the CDC in generations have not done so for prestige or power, but because they believe in the call deeply for service. They deserve a HHS secretary who stands for health, supports science and has a back. So, in our country, also,” he wrote.
Monarez’s expulsion and subsequent resignation of other CDC officials Hill Public health community and Mixed reactions On Capital Hill.
Kennedy and White House have defended Monarez’s firing. White House Press SecretaryCuroline levitTold reportersOn Thursday, the President “has the right to set fire to those who do not aligned with their mission.”
“President and Secretary Kennedy is committed to restoring the CDC by ensuring his leadership to restore confidence and transparency and reliability to the CDC and their decisions are more public, more accountable, more accountable, strengthening our public health system and restoring Americans from communicable diseases, restoring their original missions, investing, detection and responding to future threats, in-in-charge,” said the Leavet.
The OP-ed was signed by William Faes, who served as Director from 1977 to 1983; William Ropper, who served as Director from 1990 to 1993; David Satkar, who served as Director from 1993 to 1998; Jeffrey Coplan, who served as Director from 1998 to 2002; Richard Besar, who served as the acting director in 2009; Tom Freeden, who served as a director from 2009 to 2017; Anne Shoocht, who served as the acting director in 2017 and 2018; Rochelle Walnsky, who served as Director from 2021 to 2023; And Mandy Cohen, who served as Director from 2023 to 2025.
