Susan Monarez, who noted her Wisconsin roots prior to her confirmation as head of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on July 30, is out at the agency after less than a month on the job.
The X account for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which includes the CDC, thanked Monarez for her service and said health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “has full confidence in his team … who will continue to be vigilant in protecting Americans against infectious diseases at home and abroad.”
The Washington Post reported the evening of Aug. 27 that Monarez’s lawyers said she has not resigned or been fired, and that Kennedy was “weaponizing public health for political gain.”
The Post reported that Monarez was ousted after being questioned by Kennedy about whether she supported rescinding certain approvals for COVID-19 vaccines, which she reportedly declined to commit to without consulting her advisers. Kennedy is well-known for his vaccine skepticism, which raised alarm with public health experts that he would attempt to limit public access to them once he was confirmed to his role.
Monarez had had a long career in the health field but was the first person to assume the position without a medical degree in more than 70 years. She said in her testimony before the U.S. Senate that she grew up the daughter of a dairy farmer in rural Wisconsin. She holds bachelor’s and doctorate degrees in microbiology and immunology from UW-Madison.
A handful of other top CDC officials announced their resignations following Monarez’s departure, the Post reported.
Like other parts of the federal government, the agency has shed staff in recent months and expected to see steep funding cuts in the next fiscal year. A shooting at the agency’s headquarters in Atlanta earlier this month that killed a police officer has further rattled staff.
This story has been updated to add new information.
Madeline Heim covers health and the environment for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Contact her at 920-996-7266 or mheim@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Susan Monarez, CDC director with Wisconsin ties, out after less than a month on the job
Reporting by Madeline Heim, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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