CDC Employees Dismissed Following Disagreement Over Vaccination Policies

Amidst the cuts to funding vaccine technology and research, many CDC employees have been fired or laid off. These actions have signaled the underlying tensions between government officials and renown medical agencies.

Robert F Kennedy, JR

Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F Kennedy Jr. has reshaped how the CDC and other medical agencies serve the public. His apprehension on the efficiency of vaccines has played a role in his policies regarding health policy. Kennedy downsized and restructured 2,400 CDC positions in April. 10,000 employees were laid off and put on paid leave. Then, he fired all seventeen members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and replaced them in June. Many of these new hires had a history of anti-vaccine advocacy. This committee is instrumental in shaping public health policy at the CDC.

In August, CDC fired 600 employees. This firing came in the wake of the shooting at its headquarters in Atlanta. Along with this, there are more guidelines to the vaccination process that disrupt the usual process.

Emergency-use

Later that month, Kennedy stated that emergency-use authorizations for COVID-19 vaccines had been eliminated.  According to these guidelines: Vaccines, Moderna, Pfizer, and Novavax are approved for those immune compromised and people ages 65 and up. Moderna is approved for those 6 months and older with an underlying condition and people 65 and older. Pfizer is approved for those 5 and older with an underlying condition and those 65 and older. Novavax is approved for those 12 years and older with an underlying condition and those ages 65 and older.

Kennedy elaborated on his X account that he will implement plans to end COVID-19 vaccine mandates, demand placebo-controlled trials from companies, keep vaccines available to the most vulnerable, and “to end emergency.”

The most controversial aspect of these policies is the fact that COVID-19 vaccine mandates will be removed for pregnant women and healthy individuals. It is something that continues to divide workers in medical agencies and Americans across the board.

Former Employees Speak Out

Thousands of CDC employees have been fired. Among the is former CDC director, Susan Monarez. She was fired due to disagreeing with Kennedy’s stance on vaccination. She refused to adopt it and implement it into legislation. Monarez has hired a lawyer to contest her termination of employment. She and other former employees have sued the CDC.

Others like Dr. Debra Houry resigned from their position due to what they perceive as Kennedy’s mishandling of the handling of the CDC.  

Former CDC chief medical officer, Dr. Debra Houry has spoken out against what she believes is incompetent leadership over the CDC. She went on CNN to express her viewpoints.

Debra Houry

“So, I think that it’s gonna be very difficult, too. We have a vaccine committee that is scheduled in a few weeks,” Houry said.

“It was one of the reasons why I resigned. That committee is staff with people that don’t have expertise in vaccine science and other types of scientific technologies. And they have been to be against vaccines. I’m all about talking about data and exploring, but we need to do it, scientifically. Follow the data and make decisions before we actually know what the science shows.”

Former CDC Director, Tom Frieden added his input.

“What we are seeing is unprecedented. There’s never been a firing of a CDC director. Public health is under assault,” Frieden said.

“Dr. Houry says it’s no longer possible to have confidence in what’s coming out of HHS. What we see is a pattern: deny, act, destroy. They deny simple truths and plain facts. They distract from the damage they’ll doing by the performative stuff that they are doing. It’s a lot of damage-from dismantling tobacco control to not going forward with getting our water safely to undermining our vaccine infrastructure. They are destroying our health protections. We are less safe.”

While many other former employees are aghast about the direction the CDC is taking, the layoffs had contributed to the growing unemployment that is plaguing our society.

Impact on state and local governments

In addition to the layoffs at the CDC, the Trump administration has reduced funding for state and local health departments. The HHS canceled almost 700 centers for Disease Control and Prevention grants nationwide-totaling $ 11 billion dollars. These cuts have been restored in Democrat leaning states which boosted the economy and standing of the health departments while Republican needed states lost much needed funding.

Governor of Florida, Mr Desantis

For example, Republican governor of Florida, Ron Desantis took Kennedy’s stance and ended all vaccine mandates-especially for children. This state has also accepted cuts to funding their healthcare system. It will become the only state in the country that doesn’t accept immunization against certain viruses. On the other hand, a Democratic leaning state, California has restored local healthcare funding by suing the government. The state has upheld vaccine mandates and distribution as necessary for public health of its citizens.

This also bolstered support for public health infrastructure and help to contain many types of viruses and diseases.

“It really supported infrastructure across the board, particularly in how states respond to public health threats,” said Susan Kansagra, chief medical officer of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.

American People’s Perspective

WPTV News interviewed Floridian parents about their perspective on the state ending vaccine mandates

“It’s a big step in the right direction to the health of America’s children,” said Charlie Salvote.

An unidentified woman added her input.

“It gives more parents control of what we should and shouldn’t do for our kids.”

“It’s a wonderful, wonderful thing that I can be like, okay, he doesn’t need this,” Leanne Sylvester said.

FL Policy

Due to the current Florida policy on vaccinating children for diseases like Measles, Chickenpox, Tetanus and Whooping Cough, Sylvester said that she and her husband “contemplated” homeschooling their children. Salvote has his youngest son homeschool partially due to vaccine requirements.

“I’ve had trouble with vaccines before. With Cameron, we decided no vaccines, and it is absolutely fantastic news,” Salvote said.

On the contrary, there are other individuals with differing perspectives. Among them is healthcare worker, Amy Frazen. 

“I work in healthcare. So, I hope that it does make a little bit of a difference,” Frazen said. “I would like to see a healthier United States.”

LA Resident

Los Angeles resident, Michael Bruen was interviewed by KCAL News.

“It’s kinda sad, too. You’d think, you know rely on the science and not people’s fears. We’d go by what we know versus all the fears of what we don’t know,” Bruen said.

Dr. Anne Rimoin, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health Professor, believes that states should come together to set their own health mandates due to the confusion over the changes in the CDC’s guidelines.

“I think the idea of bringing together these states is a block, providing consistent guidance is going to be helpful,” Rimoin said.

Borders

“An infection anywhere is potentially an infection everywhere. And it doesn’t respect county borders, state borders, much less national borders.”

As a result, California, Oregon, and Washington have formed a health alliance to guide residents on vaccines and immunization as a response what they believe is “the politicization of science” by the federal government. The objective is to provide residents with information and resources that enable them to make informed decisions regarding their health.

Aftermath

Currently, the Senate Committee Hearing is revealing Kennedy’s strengths and weaknesses in handling the possibility of ending vaccine mandates and firing federal workers. Kennedy believes that he is acting in the best interests of the American people. He believes that he is protecting the autonomy of Americans by ending vaccine mandates and keeping them accessible to the most vulnerable. While he isn’t against vaccines, he believes that Americans deserve the right to choose if they want to be vaccinated or not.

Then, there are former employees like Monarez that are seeking clarity and justice. She believes that she was fired unjustly due to not falling in line with Secretary Kennedy’s agenda. Kennedy said he fired her after she claimed not to be “trustworthy” and that she lied in the Wall Street op-ed article about being pushed to make rubber-stamp decisions. Monarez claimed that his assertions about her credibility in the Wall Street Journal op-ed was false. However, Kennedy admitted that he told Monarez to fire CDC scientists.

Raphael Warnock

Senator Raphael Warnock questioned Kennedy about the shooting at the CDC headquarters in Atlanta and his views on vaccines, as reports indicated that the shooter was influenced by anti-vaccine conspiracy theories. He stated that he wasn’t responsible for the spread of such misinformation.

Kennedy was also probed by Senator Peter Welch of Vermont about the rising cost of healthcare, citing the rising Obamacare premiums in his state.

 While Secretary Kennedy is being held accountable for his actions, the public health of the nation is at risk. Americans deserve to have access to adequate healthcare options and make decisions that is right for themselves, but not at the expense of others’ well-being. The consequences of changing the CDC guidelines, ending vaccine mandates, and firing workers will be felt throughout the country. America could rise beyond this conundrum and become a nation where autonomy over health-care choices and a healthy populace coincide. It will take accountability from government officials like Secretary Kennedy and growth and assistance from the American people to make it happen. Such actions must be implemented to ensure the health and well-being of the country.