CDC officials who quit in protest lead call to ‘get politics out of public health’

Senior CDC vaccine research and public health leaders who resigned in protest told hundreds of supporters across the street from campus on Thursday that the Trump administration needs to “get politics out of public health”.

The agency is reeling from the firing of the CDC chief, Susan Monarez, but Monarez, who was confirmed as CDC chief just a month ago, has refused to be removed. Four senior leaders – Debra Houry, Demetre Daskalakis, Daniel Jernigan and Jennifer Layden – then resigned in protest, citing the alleged spread of misinformation under the Trump administration and political interference in their work. The staffers cheered and applauded them at the event on Thursday.

The agency is overseen by the US health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, who in recent days restricted the use of Covid vaccines for Americans and has removed scientific advisers and cut funding for medical research.

The staff and supporters of the CDC gathered across the street from the campus in Atlanta, and three of the officials who resigned – Houry, Daskalakis and Jernigan – were met with applause and handshakes, a marked difference from this morning when they were escorted off campus.

“Let’s get the politics out of public health,” Jernigan told the crowd. Jernigan worked at the CDC for 30 years and played a key role in influenza and pandemic preparedness. “Let the science lead us, because that’s how we get to the best decisions for public health.”

Daskalakis, known for his leadership in HIV prevention and vaccination programs and the Biden administration’s response to the mpox outbreak, also addressed the staffers. “You are the people that protect America, and America needs to see that you are the people that protect America, and we are going to be your loudest advocates,” he said.

Debra Houry, who served as chief medical officer and deputy director for program and science at the CDC, said that she, Daskalakis and Jernigan agreed to leave together because of their work on vaccine science and outbreaks.

“We have reached the tipping point and we knew it was a powerful statement for the three of us to do this together,” Houry said.

The turmoil at the CDC comes as the agency is also still recovering from the attack of a gunman who fired more than 500 rounds into the Atlanta offices before killing the DeKalb police officer David Rose.