On Sept. 3, 2025, more than 20 U.S. medical and public health organizations issued a joint statement urging Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to step down, saying recent policy changes and personnel moves at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention threaten public health.
Key Takeaways
- Over 20 professional groups signed a joint call for HHS Secretary Kennedy to resign.
- Signatories include the Infectious Diseases Society of America, the American Public Health Association and other major medical associations.
- Former CDC directors from both parties warned that recent decisions put Americans at risk.
- Kennedy has revoked federal COVID vaccine recommendations for pregnant women and healthy children and replaced the CDC vaccine advisory panel.
- CDC Director Susan Monarez was dismissed less than a month after being sworn in and senior officials have resigned amid tensions.
- More than 1,000 current and former HHS employees also signed an open letter demanding Kennedy leave office or be removed.
Verified Facts
The joint statement was released on Sept. 3, 2025 and was signed by more than 20 organizations, including the Infectious Diseases Society of America, the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, the American Public Health Association and the American Association of Immunologists. The groups said Kennedy’s actions amount to disregarding decades of evidence-based public health practice.
In May 2025, the HHS under Kennedy withdrew federal recommendations for COVID-19 vaccination for pregnant women and for healthy children, reversing prior federal guidance. In June 2025 all members of the CDC’s expert vaccine advisory panel were dismissed and replaced with advisers selected by the secretary’s office.
CDC Director Susan Monarez was fired in late August 2025, fewer than four weeks after being sworn in. Several senior CDC officials resigned in the weeks that followed. Separately, more than 1,000 current and former HHS employees authored an open letter calling for Kennedy to resign or be removed from office.
Context & Impact
Public health experts say federal vaccine recommendations and CDC advisory panels are central to maintaining coordinated immunization programs, guiding clinicians, and supporting state and local health departments. Changes at the top of HHS and the CDC have immediate operational and reputational consequences for those systems.
Health associations warn the policy reversals could reduce vaccine uptake and hamper routine public health programs. State health authorities and hospitals may face confusion about federal guidance during outbreaks or seasonal vaccination campaigns.
Potential impacts include:
- Disruption to vaccine rollout plans for pregnant people and children.
- Erosion of trust among clinicians and the public in federal health guidance.
- Staff turnover and institutional knowledge loss at CDC and HHS.
‘My mission is to restore the CDC’s focus on infectious disease and rebuild trust through transparency and competence,’ said Secretary Kennedy in a social media post responding to criticism.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., HHS Secretary
Unconfirmed
- Longer term effects on national vaccination rates and outbreak risk are not yet measurable and remain uncertain.
- Specific internal deliberations leading to the firing of CDC staff and the panel replacements have not been fully disclosed publicly.
Bottom Line
Major U.S. medical organizations and many current and former public health officials say recent policy shifts and leadership changes under Secretary Kennedy undermine established science-based practices and could jeopardize population health. The dispute raises immediate questions about federal public health leadership, operational continuity at CDC, and near-term guidance for vaccines.