Trump nominates Erica Schwartz as CDC director

Key Points:

• President Donald Trump has nominated Erica Schwartz to serve as the permanent director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), ending a prolonged vacancy in the agency's leadership.
• Schwartz's appointment requires Senate confirmation, following the expiration of Dr. Jay Bhattacharya's acting directorship under the Vacancies Act, which limits acting service to 210 days.
• The CDC has experienced significant turmoil, including the firing of Dr. Susan Monarez, the only confirmed director during Trump's second term, who testified she was dismissed for resisting unscientific vaccine policy demands.
• The agency faces challenges such as low morale, staff turnover, and controversy over changes to U.S. vaccine policy, compounded by a recent judge's block on efforts to reduce the number of recommended childhood vaccinations.
• The nomination occurs amid ongoing instability following a gunman attack at the CDC's Atlanta headquarters and leadership upheavals that have unsettled the agency.