August 27, 2025policy changepublic healthfederal personnelexecutive removal powerpublic healthexecutive powercivil service
White House fires CDC Director Monarez after 29 days as four senior officials resign
The White House announced HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had fired CDC Director Susan Monarez 29 days after she was sworn in, the shortest tenure in CDC history. Monarez's attorneys said she had refused Kennedy's order to pre-approve every ACIP recommendation without scientific review and to dismiss career vaccine officials. Four senior CDC leaders resigned the same day: Deputy Director Debra Houry, immunization chief Demetre Daskalakis, infectious-diseases chief Daniel Jernigan, and public-health data director Jennifer Layden.
Sources
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