WASHINGTON (AP) – Last week, the US Secretary of Health and Benefits, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., made headlines in a brief 58-second video announcing that the government will discontinue support for the Covid-19 vaccine for healthy children and pregnant women.
The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the agency responsible for federal vaccine recommendations, was conspicuously absent.
The CDC operates on an annual budget of $9.2 billion, overseeing vital vaccine reviews, disease monitoring, and emerging health threats, all while lacking clear leadership.
“They’re the ones who were under the first Trump administration and assisted Kennedy in his appointment as National Health Secretary,” noted Dr. Robert Redfield, who served as CDC director during that period.
Leadership Void Amid $9.2 Billion Agency’s Nominations
Post-President, there’s been a significant leadership vacuum lasting months within federal public health agencies. Donald Trump‘s initial pick for CDC Director was abruptly withdrawn in March. A hearing for his new nominee, former acting director Susan Monarez, is pending due to incomplete documentation, according to a spokesperson for Senator Bill Cassidy (R-La.), who is overseeing the nominations.
HHS has not responded to inquiries regarding Monarez’s appointment, current duties at the CDC, or her salary. The employee directory lists Monarez as part of the staff at the NIH’s Advanced Research Projects Bureau.
Redfield characterized Kennedy as “very supportive” of Monarez’s nomination.
Rather, lawyers and political appointees without medical experience have been managing “part of their obligations” typically handled by someone with a medical degree for the last 70 years.
Matthew Butzelli, the CDC Chief of Staff, is “surrounded by highly qualified medical professionals and advisors to fulfill these duties as required,” stated HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon.
Furthermore, in an email circulated to all staff last week, I extended thanks to the “new proxy director who stepped up to the plate.” The email, signed by Monarez, identified her as a proxy supervisor and was sent shortly after Kennedy mentioned during a Senate hearing that Monarez was replaced by Butzelli.
The evident lack of oversight is concerning in public health emergency scenarios, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the increasing measles incidents, warned University of Minnesota epidemiologist Michael Osterholm.
“The CDC is in crisis mode, and we seem to be waiting for an emergency to unfold,” Osterholm stated. “At this juncture, I am uncertain due to the lack of decisive actions in a critical situation.”
Acting Directors Rarely Visible Amidst Stagnation
At CDC headquarters in Atlanta, staff report that Monales was seldom heard from following her nomination to acting director in late January and late March.
She has not conducted the traditional “all hands” meeting that her predecessors hosted, according to multiple staff members.
An employee, who requested anonymity for fear of retribution, claimed Monales has been largely invisible since her appointment, and her absence has been cited by other leaders as a reason for delaying actions.
This situation has fostered widespread confusion.
In April, a 15-member advisory panel of external experts convened to discuss vaccine policy, which typically requires CDC director approval. During this meeting, no one was able to review the panel’s recommendations, which included an expansion of RSV vaccinations for adults and a new combination vaccine designed to protect teenagers from meningitis.
HHS officials indicated that the recommendations were intended for Butzelli, yet weeks passed without a decision. A month post-meeting, the CDC announced a travel advisory for Chikungunya, a virus spread by mosquitoes, but no subsequent decisions regarding other vaccine recommendations were made.
Controversial COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations Sidestep CDC Panels
The issue arose again recently when Kennedy introduced his Covid-19 vaccine recommendations, asserting that the vaccine is no longer advised for healthy children and pregnant mothers, despite their status as a high-risk group. Kennedy made this surprising announcement without input from the CDC Advisory Panel, which has historically informed the nation’s vaccine schedule. The CDC has continuously updated guidelines recommending vaccinations for healthy children and pregnant women.
Nixon, an HHS spokesperson, stated that CDC staff were consulted on the recommendations, but he did not disclose names or titles of those involved. He also failed to provide specific data or studies reviewed by Kennedy that led to these new Covid-19 guidelines, merely weeks after Kennedy remarked, “I don’t believe in offering medical advice.”
“As Secretary Kennedy indicated, there is a clear absence of data supporting repetitive booster strategies for children,” Nixon remarked in a statement.
Research indicates that pregnant women face a heightened risk of severe illness and complications if infected with Covid-19, leading to increased maternal mortality rates during the pandemic, which have reached the highest level in 50 years. Immunization also aids in transferring immunity to newborns, who are too young for vaccination. Consequently, vaccination is recommended for pregnant women. Nixon did not address inquiries regarding recommendations for this demographic.
Kennedy’s choice to bypass the advisory committee and implement his own Covid-19 strategies resulted in the resignation of Dr. Lakshmi Panagiotakopoulos from a committee shortly thereafter.
“My public health and vaccinology career began with a firm desire to assist the most vulnerable members of our society. This is no longer something I can pursue in this role,” she stated in an email seen by reporters from the Associated Press.
Dr. Anand Parev, chief medical advisor at the Bipartisan Policy Center, noted growing indications that the CDC has been “sidelined” from critical decisions during Kennedy’s tenure.
“It’s increasingly challenging to envision how to address chronic disease outbreaks or prepare for numerous public health emergencies without a robust CDC and a visible, empowered director,” Parev emphasized. “It is also worth mentioning that local and state public health departments nationwide depend on the CDC’s scientific guidance and the leadership of its director.”
Source: apnews.com