The Department of Health and Human Services announced on X that newly confirmed Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Susan Monarez no longer held that position yesterday. Although the details are still murky, it seems HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. sought to remove her because she objected to signing off on various vaccine recommendations backed by the secretary and his handpicked minions. Perhaps RFK Jr. intends to keep his promise to give infectious diseases an eight-year break.
Monarez, so far, has refused to step down. In a statement issued by her lawyers, they argue that as she had been confirmed by the Senate and that therefore only the president could fire her. They further asserted, "Secretary Kennedy and HHS have set their sights on weaponizing public health for political gain and putting millions of American lives at risk."
They added, "When CDC Director Susan Monarez refused to rubber-stamp unscientific, reckless directives and fire dedicated health experts she chose protecting the public over serving a political agenda. For that, she has been targeted. Dr. Monarez has neither resigned nor received notification from the White House that she has been fired, and as a person of integrity and devoted to science, she will not resign."
