The highest public health agency in the country was thrown into uncertainty Wednesday night, when the head of the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention was abruptly dismissed, only to her lawyers demanded that she follow the role. The other four Best CDC officials resigned, and one of them firmly, firmly formulated, said Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Health and Human Services, was carrying out a “gun of public health”.
Reports, legal challenges and accusations have arisen in such a way that it can be difficult to follow. Here’s what happened, where everything is now and where they can go from here.
What happened?
On Wednesday night, Social media HHS announced that CDC director Susan Monarez, who was sworn to work less than a month ago, was no longer under the agency.
Less than two hours later, Monarez’s lawyers replied by saying that she was not actually dismissed and also refused to resign. They argued that Kennedy, though CDC falls within his competence as the HHS Secretary, has no authority to terminate it. They said only President Trump has this power.
“When Susan Monarez, Director of the CDC, abandoned the rubber seal of unconsciousness, reckless directives and fire-dedicated health experts, she chose the public protection of the political agenda.
The White House announced its statement late Wednesday night, saying that Monarez was released because it “was not coordinated with the presidential agenda that America would turn into a healthy way.” Monarez’s lawyers said it was still not enough because it came from a representative of the White House, not a short one.
“As a presidential department, the Senate confirmed the official, only the president himself can dismiss it,” Mark Zaid, one of Monarez’s lawyers, wrote in social media.
Caroline Leavitt, secretary of the White House press, told reporters on Thursday morning that Trump himself forgiven Monarez, but Zaid said it was still not enough.
‘[Leavitt] can say what she wants. … But that doesn’t make her comments actually correct, even when from the White House’s podium, “he wrote in social media.
Monarez’s status CDC was still clear from Thursday afternoon, although Trump can end uncertainty by personally forgiving it.
The other four Best CDC officials resigned Wednesday night due to a disappointment agency led by a headed agency.
“I can no longer play this role due to the ongoing public health weapons,” Demetre Daskalakis, who was responsible for the center, which oversees national vaccination strategies, wrote by email. In a letter to colleagues who were shared with the media.
Daniel Jerigan, Director of the National Immunization and Respiratory Diseases Center, also resigned, as the CDC chief medical officer, Debra Houry, her Public Health Data Director and Director of the National Immunization and Respiratory Disease Center.
In an interview with Fox News on Thursday morning, Kennedy said he would be inappropriate to comment on personnel problems. However, he collected great criticism of the CDC, claiming that the agency was “troubles” and added that “it may be possible that some people are unable to work there.”
Kennedy specifically summoned CDC actions during coronavirus pandemic.
“President Trump currently has a very, very ambitious CDC hope and CDC has problems,” he said. “We saw disinformation from Covid. They made a mistake. They made a mistake. They received a social distance, masks, a school closure that caused so much damage to the people of America today. “
How did we get here?
Kennedy was a controversial choice to lead HHS on a long statement of health history that contradicts scientific consensus, especially when it comes to vaccine safety and effectiveness. It was confirmed by narrow margins in the Senate. All Democrats voted against its approval and all Republicans except one vote.
Earlier this year, Kennedy announced mass exemptions from HHS, including hundreds of employees released from the CDC. During his term, he reorganized most of the department in Make America, again a healthy agenda, which focuses on chronic diseases that often contradict medical consensus. He also dismissed all members of the CDC advisory council of CDC advisory council, replacing them with allies who have the history of vaccine skepticism. He later included a researcher whose medical experts have extensively criticized the work to lead the study of autism.
Monarez, a researcher of career infectious diseases, was the second choice for Trump to become Director of CDC. She was elected after Mr Trump’s candidate Dave Weldon had left for obvious concerns that Weldon could not get enough votes in the Senate to confirm his previous comments on vaccines.
Monarez reportedly reported to Monarez with Kennedy as a CDC director. The tension in the agency increased earlier this month after the arms, motivated by extreme beliefs before the vaccine, opened the fire at the CDC headquarters in Atlanta, shocked hundreds of windows and killed a police officer. After the attack, more than 750 HHS staff published a letter to Kennedy, asking for a stopping disinformation. Previously, Monarez CDC sent a report to the employees of the “deadly consequences” vaccine conspiracy, although it did not directly blame any guilt Kennedy.
On Wednesday, a few hours after the Food and Drug Administration announced a new Covid-19 vaccine, which makes it difficult for adults under 65, in addition to their main health status to get into shots.
What will happen next?
Trump can officially terminate the term of monarez with CDC at any time, personally releasing it. The White House says it has already begun to consider what will replace it.
“The new change will be announced by the President or [Kennedy] Very fast, “Leavitt told reporters on Thursday.
However, the scandal may not end when Montareres is finally removed. Republican elder Bill Cassidy, who heads the Senate Committee, who oversee the health -related questions, said the CDC will need to be maintained by the CDC.