Nine former leaders of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s views on public health are “dangerous,” warning they could undermine the nation’s safety.
In an essay published in the New York Times titled “We Ran the C.D.C.: Kennedy Is Endangering Every American’s Health,” the former leaders said they are “worried about the wide-ranging impact” Kennedy’s decisions will have on public health.
The essay was authored by former CDC directors William Foege, William Roper, David Satcher, Jeffrey Koplan, Richard Besser, Tom Frieden, Anne Schuchat, Rochelle P. Walensky and Mandy K. Cohen.
Schuchat served as deputy director of the CDC throughout President Donald Trump’s first term and was interim CDC director at several points during his presidency.
Notably, the essay was not signed by two other former CDC directors under President Trump: Brenda Fitzgerald and Robert Redfield.
The essay comes less than a month after Kennedy fired Susan Monarez, who was appointed by President Trump and confirmed by the Senate to serve as CDC director.
“What the health and human services secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has done to the C.D.C. and to our nation’s public health system over the past several months — culminating in his decision to fire Susan Monarez as C.D.C. director days ago — is unlike anything we had ever seen at the agency and unlike anything our country had ever experienced,” the nine former directors wrote.
The leaders criticized Kennedy’s stance on vaccines. While Kennedy has not said he is against vaccines, they say he has made unfounded claims about their safety and efficacy.
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In recent weeks, HHS has rolled back the availability of COVID-19 vaccines. Boosters that were once widely available to the public are now limited to a narrower percentage of Americans.
They also faulted Kennedy for rejecting the upcoming recommendations of the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee for the release of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
The former leaders expressed concern about Kennedy’s approach to an ongoing uptick in measles cases, saying he is downplaying the effectiveness of the measles vaccine.
In the past, Kennedy has said he believes people should get measles vaccines, but that the government should not require them.
The essay’s release coincides with Kennedy’s scheduled appearance before lawmakers on Capitol Hill this week.
