Leadership of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is in limbo after the Trump administration moved to oust its leader, Susan Monarez, a decision likely to shake up vaccine policy.
The White House defended the firing late Wednesday, after Monarez refused to step down, claiming her policies were not aligned with President Trump’s “Making America Healthy Again” agenda. Following the news, four other senior leaders at the agency resigned.
The removal also comes after Monarez and Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. argued earlier this week about the director’s decision not to pull approvals for several updated COVID-19 vaccines, a source told NewsNation, The Hill’s sister network. Kennedy then told her to resign or be fired, the source added.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the latest vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer on Wednesday, authorizing use of the vaccines for those at higher risk for severe infections.
President Trump is expected to sign executive orders from the Oval Office on Thursday afternoon. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt will also brief reporters.
The president has also been in talks with Republicans on Capitol Hill about a proposed federal crime bill as the administration ramps up its crackdown in Washington.
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