Inside the Turmoil at RFK Jr.’s CDC, as Told by Current and Former Employees
The New York Times • • general
Key Points:
- R.F.K. Jr., as Secretary of Health and Human Services, aimed to reform the CDC by reducing corporate influence and shrinking the agency to focus mainly on infectious disease monitoring, leading to mass layoffs and program cuts across various public health areas.
- The CDC experienced significant disruptions under Kennedy's leadership, including censorship of scientific communication, removal of key vaccine advisory committee members, and the promotion of vaccine skepticism, contributing to a resurgence of diseases like measles.
- Political appointees without public health expertise replaced many career CDC staff, causing fear, confusion, and loss of institutional knowledge, while several senior CDC officials resigned in protest over politicization and censorship.
- Major policy changes, such as altering childhood vaccine schedules and reducing vaccine recommendations, were implemented without standard scientific review or public health consensus, leading to legal challenges and widespread concern among health experts.
- The CDC faced a deadly shooting incident during this period, after which leadership engagement with staff was criticized as inadequate, further eroding morale amid ongoing agency turmoil and public health challenges.
