Senate hearing: Susan Monarez, previously the head of the CDC, reveals alleged cause of her dismissal to congressional panel
Former CDC Director Testifies Before Senate Committee Over Vaccine Controversies
Former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Susan Monarez made her first public appearance since being pushed out of her position, testifying before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP). Monarez appeared alongside Deb Houry, a former top CDC official who resigned in protest after Monarez's ousting.
Monarez expressed concerns with the composition of the advisory committee, stating that Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar had replaced all its members with handpicked individuals, some of whom have expressed criticism of vaccines. Monarez claimed that Secretary Kennedy spoke to the White House several times prior to the meeting about her dismissal.
During her opening statement, Monarez provided a detailed timeline, stating that she was fired for not committing to preemptively accept recommendations from a CDC vaccine advisory panel and for dismissing career officials overseeing vaccine policy. Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester has called for the resignation of Secretary Azar, stating that his actions are "unsafe for America."
Senator John Kennedy, the panel's counterpart to Bill Cassidy, referred to Azar's handling of the CDC as a "multiple vehicle pileup." The Senate Finance Committee has also expressed concern over Azar's handling of vaccines and the CDC, with Senators John Barrasso, Thom Tillis, John Thune, and Susan Collins voicing criticism.
In response, Secretary Azar has stated that the committee will decide on access to vaccines after a "real gold standard scientific review." Azar has made several changes to vaccine policy, including canceling around $500 million in contracts for mRNA vaccines, changing recommendations for healthy children and pregnant women to receive COVID-19 vaccinations, and narrowing approval for the updated COVID shots this fall only to people over 65, or younger Americans with underlying conditions.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the current Health and Human Services Secretary, dismissed Monarez's version of events, denying that he told her to go along with vaccine recommendations without regard for scientific evidence. Kennedy had previously replaced all 17 members of the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) with a smaller, handpicked group, including individuals who have expressed criticism of mRNA and childhood vaccines, with the intention of restoring public trust in vaccines and transforming the US's vaccine policy.
Senator Bill Cassidy has called for Monarez to testify before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, and is focused on learning what led to Monarez's abrupt firing just weeks after her confirmation. Monarez was pushed out of her position due to her refusal to agree to rubber-stamp Azar's agenda or fire high-ranking scientists.
The controversy surrounding the CDC's vaccine policies and the role of the advisory committee continues to unfold, with a CDC committee set to meet soon to discuss vaccine recommendations more broadly, including the measles, mumps, rubella, varicella (MMRV) vaccine, and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV).
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