CDC director Susan Monarez ousted after less than one month in the job

US officials announced on Wednesday the departure of the director of the nation’s top public health agency, after less than one month in the job.

“Susan Monarez is no longer director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We thank her for her dedicated service to the American people,” the US Department of Health and Human Services wrote in a statement posted on social media.

HHS officials did not explain why Monarez is no longer with the agency.

Before the announcement was made, Monarez told the Associated Press: “I can’t comment.”

The Washington Post first reported she was ousted, citing unnamed sources within the Trump administration.

Monarez, 50, was the agency’s 21st director and the first to pass through Senate confirmation following a 2023 law. She was named acting director in January and then tapped as the nominee in March after Trump abruptly withdrew his first choice, David Weldon.

She was sworn in on 31 July – less than a month ago – making her the shortest-serving CDC director in the history of the 79-year-old agency.

More details soon …