Hundreds of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention employees staged a two-hour walkout at the agency’s Atlanta headquarters on Thursday evening, protesting recent leadership changes at the Department of Health and Human Services and actions they say are undermining public health.
Groups of employees gathered outside several CDC buildings as the workday came to a close, some holding signs that read “Save the CDC” and “Good Trouble, Better South.” Staff from the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases and the Division of Viral Diseases walked out together, leaving labs and offices temporarily empty.
One staffer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the protest was sparked by firings and policy shifts that “ignore decades of public health experience” and “put routine vaccination programs at risk.” Local authorities monitored the demonstration but did not intervene. Participants dispersed by late evening.
Firing of CDC Director Susan Monarez
President Donald Trump formally removed CDC Director Susan Monarez on Wednesday after she declined to resign amid pressure from HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Monarez’s attorneys, Mark Zaid and Abbe Lowell, said she refused to carry out “unscientific, reckless directives” or dismiss career staff. “She chose protecting the public over serving a political agenda. She has been singled out for this,” they said in a statement.
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The White House countered that Monarez “does not share the President’s vision for Making America Healthy Again,” adding that she had indicated plans to resign but “did not follow through.” Monarez’s lawyers dispute the legality of the dismissal, arguing that only the president can remove a Senate-confirmed officer; Zaid wrote on Bluesky that “She remains as CDC Director.”
Monarez was nominated by Trump in March and confirmed by the Senate in late July. She previously served as deputy director at the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H).
Leadership exodus and campus turmoil
Four top officials at the CDC submitted resignations following Monarez’s termination.
Dr. Debra Houry, the agency’s chief medical officer, said in her resignation letter that she was stepping down due to “exaggerated vaccine risks and the spread of misinformation.” Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, who leads the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said he could no longer serve “amid the continued politicization of public health.” Dr. Daniel Jernigan, who leads the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, and Dr. Jen Layden, who leads the Office of Public Health Data, Surveillance and Technology, also resigned.
The departures occurred days after a shooting at the CDC campus in Atlanta. Windows in six buildings were shattered, and a police officer was killed. Monarez held a virtual meeting with staff following the incident, urging restoration of trust in the agency.
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CDC employees said the resignations deepened concerns about the agency’s capacity to manage public health programs. “These people know their work,” a CDC employee said on condition of anonymity. “I’m stunned how fast this all happened.”
Policy shifts and vaccine programs
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has cut $500 million in contracts related to mRNA vaccine development. Earlier in June, he dismissed all 17 members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and appointed replacements, some of whom have raised questions about the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Former CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen said the resignations leave the country “less safe and more vulnerable.” Michael Osterholm, who leads the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, said the exodus “stems directly from the radical leadership currently leading the Department of Health and Human Services.”
Monarez had planned a Monday meeting with staff to address security and safety concerns following the Aug. 8 shooting, but the session was canceled so she could attend meetings at HHS in Washington.
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