The nation’s top public health agency was left reeling Thursday as the White House worked to expel the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director and replace her with a top adviser to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The turmoil triggered rare bipartisan alarm as Kennedy tries to advance anti-vaccine policies that are contradicted by decades of scientific research.
Two administration officials said Jim O’Neill, a former investment executive, would supplant Susan Monarez, a longtime government scientist. O’Neill worked at the Department of Health and Human Services under President George W. Bush, but he does not have a medical background. The officials requested anonymity to discuss personnel decisions before a public announcement.
A flashpoint is expected in the coming weeks as a key advisory committee, which Kennedy has reshaped with vaccine skeptics, is expected to issue new recommendations on immunizations. The panel is scheduled to review standard childhood shots for measles, hepatitis and other diseases.