On September 1, 2025, nine former leaders of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned that Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is jeopardizing public health, publishing an op-ed days after the ouster of CDC Director Dr. Susan Monarez and urging Congress to step in.
Key Takeaways
- Nine former CDC leaders (seven former directors and two former acting directors) co-authored a New York Times op-ed on September 1, 2025.
- They span administrations from President Jimmy Carter through President Donald Trump.
- Monarez’s removal came shortly after reported pressure to back COVID-19 vaccine policy changes and senior staff firings.
- The op-ed cites actions under Kennedy: dismissing thousands of federal health workers, promoting unproven treatments during a U.S. measles surge, and canceling $500 million in federally funded mRNA vaccine research.
- It also says all 17 members of CDC’s vaccine advisory committee were removed and replaced with handpicked members, some with vaccine-skeptic views.
- HHS and the White House did not immediately comment.
- Co-author Dr. Richard Besser warned the moves weaken vaccine access and pandemic readiness.
- The authors urged congressional oversight and asked states and localities to fill funding gaps created by federal changes.
Verified Facts
In an op-ed published on , nine former CDC leaders argued that recent leadership and policy changes tied to HHS are undermining national health security. Their tenures collectively cover administrations from the late 1970s onward, indicating rare, bipartisan alignment among former public health chiefs.
Dr. Susan Monarez, the newly installed CDC director, was ousted days before the op-ed appeared. According to reporting, Kennedy and his principal deputy chief of staff, Stefanie Spear, pressed Monarez to support changes to COVID-19 vaccine policy and the removal of senior CDC staff—commitments she reportedly did not make.
The former directors highlighted a string of decisions they say heighten risk: firing thousands of federal health workers, promoting unproven treatments as measles cases spread in the U.S., canceling $500 million in mRNA vaccine research, and removing all 17 members of the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee and replacing them with new members.
HHS and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Kennedy appeared publicly at an August 26, 2025, cabinet meeting at the White House, underscoring his active role in federal health policy.
Context & Impact
The CDC relies on scientific advisory bodies, continuity in leadership, and stable funding to mount rapid responses to outbreaks. Turnover in top posts, disruption of advisory committees, and large-scale staff departures can slow decision-making, impair surveillance, and weaken vaccination campaigns—particularly during concurrent threats such as measles and seasonal respiratory viruses.
mRNA platforms have been central to recent vaccine innovation. Halting substantial federal research dollars could delay next-generation vaccines and therapeutics, affecting readiness for future pandemics and the development of vaccines against emerging pathogens.
The former directors’ call for congressional oversight reflects concerns about governance and checks-and-balances. If federal support ebbs, states and local health departments may be forced to absorb more costs, potentially widening disparities in immunization and outbreak control.
Official Statements
“This is not business as usual,” said Dr. Richard Besser, adding that actions under the current HHS leadership risk dismantling vaccine systems and “put us all at risk.”
Richard Besser, former acting CDC director
Unconfirmed
- Details of the specific requests reportedly made by HHS officials to Dr. Monarez have not been publicly documented beyond anonymous sourcing.
- The precise number and distribution of federal health worker layoffs were not specified.
- The identities and qualifications of the new vaccine advisory members, and the extent of their views on vaccines, were not detailed in the op-ed.
Bottom Line
Nine former CDC chiefs warn that recent leadership changes and policy reversals under HHS could weaken America’s vaccine infrastructure and outbreak readiness. With federal responses in flux, they are urging immediate congressional oversight and contingency planning by state and local health agencies.