The White House has terminated Susan Monarez, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), after she refused to resign. Monarez’s attorney stated that she was not aligned with the President’s agenda of Making America Healthy Again. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) posted a statement on social platform X stating that Monarez is no longer director of the CDC. Washington attorneys Abbe Lowell and Mark Zaid released a defiant statement on her behalf, stating that Monarez chose protecting the public over serving a political agenda. The New York Times reported that HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told Monarez to resign or be fired Monday over tensions around vaccine policy. The CDC director is appointed, confirmed by the Senate, and can be removed only by the White House. Four top CDC officials announced their resignations, including Deb Houry, the chief medical officer and the agency’s deputy director for program and science. At least three others also submitted a resignation letter. The Food and Drug Administration approved updated COVID-19 shots for those at a “high risk” for severe infection and rescinded emergency use authorizations for the vaccine, with Kennedy stating the move was made to end mandates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n