Spanish
New York.- The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the United States, Susan Monarez, left her position this Wednesday, less than a month after her appointment, announced this Wednesday the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
The agency posted on its X account that Monarez "is no longer director" of the CDC, without giving details, and added that the Secretary of Health, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK) has "full confidence in his team", which will continue to work to "protect Americans from infectious diseases at home and abroad".
Monarez, who officially took office on July 31, was dismissed after receiving pressure to change policies on anti-covid vaccines and being questioned by Secretary RFK about her alignment with the Donald Trump administration, according to The Washington Post, which cites sources familiar with the matter.
This Wednesday, RFK announced on X that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has rescinded the emergency use authorizations for coronavirus vaccines, and the new authorized vaccines are limited to the "high-risk" population.
Following Monarez's departure, at least four senior CDC officials have announced their resignations, CNBC reported, and some of them have cited their concern about cuts in the agency, misinformation about vaccines, and the politicization of public health services.
You can read: Shooting at Catholic school in Minneapolis leaves two children dead and 17 injured
Monarez is the first CDC director chosen after a confirmation process by the Senate, as the position before 2022 could be assumed immediately after being chosen by the U.S. president. The president, Donald Trump, nominated her in March after the failed candidacy of former Florida congressman David Weldon, withdrawn by the White House due to the possibility that she would not get the necessary votes during the confirmation process in the Senate. Monarez was the acting director of the CDC before her appointment and has worked for years in the federal government. The CDC is a high-profile agency as it issues recommendations on vaccines, works to prevent chronic diseases, and combats outbreaks of infectious diseases. The agency played a key role in the response to the covid-19 pandemic.
