Ex-CDC official describes "pure chaos" as RFK Jr. sought to transform agency
Summary
A former top official at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) described serious disruptions at the agency after Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. tried to change its policies and staff. She said experts were removed from a key vaccine advisory panel, misinformation about vaccines spread, and scientific facts were ignored.Key Facts
- Dr. Debra Houry, former CDC chief medical officer, resigned last summer with three other officials due to concerns about chaos in the agency.
- Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. removed all 17 members of the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel (ACIP) on June 9, 2025.
- Kennedy appointed new panel members who lacked medical, science, or government experience and had ties to lawsuits against vaccine makers.
- The new panel voted to remove thimerosal from flu vaccines and to stop recommending the universal Hepatitis B vaccine at birth.
- The new members were not initially vetted for conflicts of interest or ethics, a process required for CDC advisory panels.
- Dr. Houry said facts and science were ignored and that political appointees were making requests involving outdated issues.
- Kennedy refused to receive a briefing from the CDC’s top official about a current measles outbreak.
- CDC officials expressed worry that important scientific perspectives were not part of decision-making under Kennedy’s leadership.
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