Trump Calls On Drug Companies For Vaccine Data Amid CDC Shake-Up
In the first public recognition of the upheaval at the CDC, President Donald Trump has demanded that pharmaceutical companies share their covid vaccine data with the public as a means to "clear up this mess." Also, CDC resignations, a new acting CDC head, and more.
Stat:
Trump Says CDC Is ‘Being Ripped Apart,’ Over Covid Products And Calls For Clarity
President Trump on Monday urged pharmaceutical companies to publicly prove that their Covid-19 products work, saying in a Truth Social post that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is “being ripped apart over this question.” “I want the answer, and I want it NOW,” he wrote in what appeared to be his first public acknowledgement of recent tumult at the CDC. (Payne and Herper, 9/1)
On leadership of the CDC —
The New York Times:
What To Know About Jim O’Neill, The New Acting C.D.C. Director
On Thursday, the Trump administration selected Jim O’Neill, a former biotechnology executive and the deputy to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., to serve as the acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The pick leaves the nation’s premier public health agency under the leadership of an official without medical or scientific training, and seems likely to tighten political control of the agency, critics in Congress said. (Anthes, 8/29)
KFF Health News:
Senior CDC Officials Resign After Monarez's Ouster, Citing Concerns Over Scientific Independence
Four senior officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced their resignations in recent days, citing what they described as growing political interference in the agency’s scientific work, particularly regarding vaccines. Two of them — Debra Houry, the CDC’s chief science and medical officer, and Demetre Daskalakis, who led the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases — stepped down on Aug. 27, hours after the White House announced the firing of CDC Director Susan Monarez. (Gounder, 8/29)
Politico:
Resigned Health Official: 'I Only See Harm Coming'
“I only see harm coming,” said Demetre Daskalakis in an interview that aired Sunday about his departure from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Speaking to host Martha Raddatz on ABC’s “This Week,” Daskalakis discussed his resignation as director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, which came after the ouster last week of CDC Director Susan Monarez, a Trump appointee who came in to conflict with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on vaccinations. Three other top health officials also resigned. (Cohen, 8/31)
NBC News:
Former CDC Directors Cast RFK Jr. As 'Dangerous' In New York Times Guest Essay
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s leadership is “unlike anything our country has ever experienced,” nine former directors and acting directors of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention wrote in a scathing guest essay Monday for The New York Times. The piece — which appeared online under the headline “We Ran the C.D.C.: Kennedy Is Endangering Every American’s Health” — came days after President Donald Trump fired CDC director Susan Monarez. (Gomez, 9/1)
More on the upheaval at the CDC —
NBC News:
CDC Asks All Staff To Return To Office Sept. 15, Five Weeks After Shooting At Headquarters
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told staff it expects them to return to offices by Sept. 15, roughly five weeks after a gunman’s deadly attack on the agency’s headquarters in Atlanta, CNBC has learned. “Your safety remains our top priority. We are taking necessary steps to restore our workplace and will return to regular on-site operations no later than Monday, September 15,” Lynda Chapman, the agency’s new chief operating officer, said in an email sent Thursday that was viewed by CNBC. (Constantino, 8/30)
The New York Times:
Inside The C.D.C., A Growing Sense Of Despair
In interviews, about two dozen C.D.C. employees said that the mood inside the agency was bleak. Some blamed Mr. Kennedy for what they felt was a campaign waged against science. Others said they were terrified for the future of the C.D.C. and the nation’s health. Some said they were in shock. All spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation. “We’re scared for ourselves and for the country,” one said. At one small group meeting Thursday morning, two people broke down in tears, according to an employee who was present. At another meeting, a senior leader who has always stayed calm under pressure was visibly shaking, another scientist said. (Mandavilli, 8/28)
Politico:
RFK Jr. Is Forcing Doctors To Make A Tough Choice
The most powerful lobbying group for America’s doctors has a big decision to make: Go to war with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. or try to work with him. For many members of the American Medical Association, publicly opposing Kennedy feels right. It means defending public health against policies — from changes to vaccine guidance to cuts to Medicaid — they see as dire threats. But it could come at a big cost if Republicans decide to overhaul how doctors are paid, as Kennedy has said he wants to do. (Levien, 8/30)
KFF Health News:
Watch: How Concerns Of CDC Scientists Over Political Interference Have Grown This Year
CNN’s Erica Hill spoke with KFF Health News correspondent Amy Maxmen about leadership changes at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Maxmen noted that turmoil at the CDC has been occurring since early in the Trump administration. She recently explored these issues in her article “As Measles Exploded, Officials in Texas Looked to CDC Scientists. Under Trump, No One Answered.” (Maxmen, 8/29)
