RFK Jr is ‘endangering’ Americans’ health, say former CDC bosses

Former leaders of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have spoken out against Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, who they say has had a “wide ranging impact” on healthcare.

The nine medical professionals criticised RFK Jr’s policies – including restricting vaccines, pulling funding for medical research, and firing thousands of healthcare workers.

They said the removal of the CDC’s former director, Dr Susan Monarez, added “considerable fuel to the raging fire”.

Monarez was fired from her role on Wednesday having refused to leave her post, leading to a string of resignations protesting the move.

In an open letter in the New York Times, the former health agency staff said the seven months under RFK Jr’s tenure as health and human services (HHS) secretary were “unlike anything our country had ever experienced”.

Since taking office, RFK Jr has slashed and restricted access to a number of immunisation efforts, including ending US support for the global vaccine programme.

He is a vaccine sceptic, having frequently undermined their effectiveness in favour of alternative, unproven treatments, angering health officials.

The authors said that the policies could put children at risk of serious disease and could ultimately lead to another pandemic if left unchallenged.

“This is unacceptable, and it should alarm every American, regardless of political leanings”, they wrote.

The healthcare secretary was also accused of passing legislation that could lead to Americans losing their health insurance under Medicare.

The op-ed is the latest rebuke of RFK’s leadership by the CDC in recent months, as HHS cut hundreds of staff across its programmes, including research into infectious diseases and environmental health.

At least 600 CDC employees were fired in August, just two weeks after a gunman opened fire at its headquarters in Atlanta.

The authors said that the recent firing of Monarez was especially damaging, having previously been nominated under Trump to take the helm at the CDC in July.

The White House said on Wednesday that she was “not aligned” with the president’s agenda.

But in their letter the former CDC bosses said that Monarez was let go because she “refused to rubberstamp” vaccine polices or follow HHS orders to fire senior staff.

In August, RFK stripped back $500 million in grants and contracts on work on mRNA vaccines.

He previously helped run an anti-vaccine group, and has repeatedly stated widely debunked claims about vaccine harm.