The RecordExhibit 44
Firing every vaccine adviser and the CDC director
Criticized means: Legal, or a policy choice, but widely condemned.
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired all 17 members of the CDC's vaccine advisory committee, and the CDC director was fired after 29 days on the job.
What happened
Susan Monarez testified under oath that she was fired for refusing to pre-approve the new committee's vaccine recommendations without seeing the data, and for refusing to fire career vaccine officials without cause.
Where it stands
On March 16, 2026, Judge Brian Murphy found that Kennedy's remaking of the vaccine committee likely violated federal law. He put the appointments of 13 of the new members on hold, along with the votes the remade panel had taken (see the entry on the childhood vaccine schedule). The ruling is preliminary and the government has appealed. The firings also drew bipartisan concern at Senate hearings.
The administration's side
The White House said Monarez was not aligned with the president's Make America Healthy Again agenda.
Sources
Permanent link: https://unredactedrecord.com/e/cdc/