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On July 29, 2025, the U.S. Senate confirmed her as Director of the CDC in a party-line vote. Because she has a Ph.D. rather than an M.D. degree, she was the first director without a medical degree since 1953.
On August 27, 2025, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) stated in a post on X that Monarez was no longer CDC Director. It was reported that she was fired because she refused to support directives from Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on changes to vaccine policy, including for approvals for COVID-19 vaccines, and to fire her senior staff, and for recruiting Senator Bill Cassidy to intervene in the dispute.
On September 17, Monarez told the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions that she confirmed that she was fired because she did not preemptively commit to accepting CDC advisory panel recommendations and firing some career officials overseeing vaccine policy, thus confirming the earlier reports. She believes that the true reason was holding the line on scientific integrity.
On July 29, 2025, the U.S. Senate confirmed her as Director of the CDC in a party-line vote. Because she has a Ph.D. rather than an M.D. degree, she was the first director without a medical degree since 1953.
On August 27, 2025, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) stated in a post on X that Monarez was no longer CDC Director. It was reported that she was fired because she refused to support directives from Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on changes to vaccine policy, including for approvals for COVID-19 vaccines, and to fire her senior staff, and for recruiting Senator Bill Cassidy to intervene in the dispute.
On September 17, Monarez told the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions that she confirmed that she was fired because she did not preemptively commit to accepting CDC advisory panel recommendations and firing some career officials overseeing vaccine policy, thus confirming the earlier reports. She believes that the true reason was holding the line on scientific integrity.