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Susan Monarez was forced out as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention just weeks after her Senate confirmation, in another significant shakeup at the beleaguered public health agency.

The Washington Post first reported her removal, based on several officials within the Trump administration. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) initially declined to comment when Ars Technica inquired, but later directed us to a post on its official X account. The agency said in the statement:

Susan Monarez is no longer director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We thank her for her dedicated service to the American people. @SecKennedy has full confidence in his team at @CDCgov, who will continue to be vigilant in protecting Americans against infectious diseases at home and abroad.”

Monarez’s exit was given with no explanation. The Washington Post, however, reported that the U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is an outspoken opponent of vaccines, had “pressured Monarez repeatedly over her views on COVID-19 vaccines” and asked her to rescind approvals for the vaccines. Monarez reportedly resisted that request, saying she would first have to consult the CDC’s vaccine advisory committees. Kennedy “then told her she should resign” and accused her of “failing to support President Trump’s public health agenda,” The Washington Post reported.

Monarez had refused to resign. She reportedly reached out to Senator Bill Cassidy (R-La. ), who had helped Kennedy get Senate confirmation earlier this year, only after getting commitments from him. Cassidy argued against Kennedy’s demands and which led to a “heated exchange” between the two. Afterward, administration officials told Monarez she either had to resign or be fired.

Attorneys Mark Zaid and Abbe Lowell, who are representing Monarez, took to social media to post a statement on her behalf, which said that Monarez has not resigned and has “not been formally notified of any dismissal from the White House.” “Her ouster came after she refused to rubber-stamp unscientific, reckless directives and fire dedicated health experts,” the statement said. “She chose protecting the public over serving a political agenda.” Zaid also later confirmed to Ars Technica that Monarez had not received a formal notification of termination as of 8:15 p.m. ET on August 27.

CDC Falls Apart

Monarez’s July confirmation was greeted as a positive development. She was confirmed in a 51–47 vote along party lines. Monarez was the first CDC director to ever face a Senate confirmation vote, which was mandated by a 2022 law. Kennedy himself administered her oath of office on July 31, extolling her “unimpeachable scientific credentials” and her ability to restore the agency’s credibility.

Monarez had an impressive résumé. She holds a PhD in microbiology and immunology and has recently served as deputy director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) under the Biden administration. Previously, she had worked at the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), Department of Homeland Security, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and National Security Council. She was the acting director of the CDC earlier this year and briefly led the agency before Trump nominated her for the permanent position.

She was considered a respected figure. Jennifer Nuzzo of Brown University tweeted that she is “a loyal, hardworking civil servant who leads with evidence and pragmatism.” Georges Benjamin, the head of the American Public Health Association, wrote, “Dr. Monarez is an accomplished researcher with a solid background in research, development, and the capability to manage large agencies.”

But the agency has struggled to hang on even with her confirmed in the top job. The CDC has lost hundreds of employees to layoffs and buyouts, and many programs have been cut or obstructed. Kennedy himself has also fanned the flames by suggesting that COVID-19 vaccines are “the deadliest vaccine ever made” and calling the CDC “a cesspool of corruption.”

It also suffered a shooting attack on August 8, after a gunman radicalized by vaccine misinformation opened fire on the CDC campus. He shot off nearly 500 rounds, with roughly 200 striking six buildings on the campus. One local police officer was killed, and terrified CDC staff took cover from the gunfire. The shooter had blamed vaccines for his health problems and targeted the CDC in retaliation.

A growing number of departures has added to the crisis. Stat News independently confirmed the resignations of three high-ranking officials: Daniel Jernigan, director of the National Center for Emerging Zoonotic Infectious Diseases; Deb Houry, the CDC’s Chief Medical Officer; and Demetre Daskalakis, who led the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.

In his parting message, Daskalakis wrote, “I am not able to serve in this role any longer because of the ongoing weaponization of public health.” Houry’s farewell post emphasized that science should “never be censored or subject to political interpretations.”

Politico had also reported earlier in the day that Jennifer Layden, who leads the Office of Public Health Data, Surveillance, and Technology, also resigned.

For both the CDC staff and the public, the situation in the agency is far removed from what it was at the start of the pandemic, when it was regarded as the gold standard for evidence-based public health. In less than two years, however, the CDC has been plagued by resignations, political pressure, and a loss of public trust at a time when the US faces ongoing public health challenges.