String of top CDC officials tender resignations after Monarez's departure

The four senior officials who resigned in the former director's wake largely credited an alleged weaponization of the CDC and a spread of "misinformation" regarding vaccinations as the reason for their exits.

By Misty Severi

Published: August 27, 2025 7:39pm

Multiple senior Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officials tendered their resignations on Wednesday, after CDC Director Susan Monarez left the agency for unknown reasons.

The Department of Health and Human Services confirmed Monarez's sudden departure, which occurred less than one month into her tenure. It is not clear if she was fired or exited the agency voluntarily, but multiple news reports claim she was removed.

The four senior officials who resigned in the former director's wake largely credited an alleged weaponization of the health agency and a spread of "misinformation" regarding vaccinations as the reason for their exits.

The four officials were identified as Dr. Debra Houry, the CDC's chief medical officer; Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases; Dr. Daniel Jernigan, the director of the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases; and Dr. Jen Layden, director of the Office of Public Health Data, Surveillance and Technology.

“For the good of the nation and the world, the science at CDC should never be censored or subject to political paused or interpretations. Vaccines save lives — this is an indisputable, well-established, scientific fact,” Houry wrote in her resignation letter, The Hill reported.

“Recently, the overstating of risks and the rise of misinformation have cost lives, as demonstrated by the highest number of U.S. measles cases in 30 years and the violent attack on our agency," she added.

The departures also come on the same day that the Food and Drug Administration rescinded emergency use authorizations for COVID-19 vaccines.

"I promised 4 things: 1. to end covid vaccine mandates. 2. to keep vaccines available to people who want them, especially the vulnerable. 3. to demand placebo-controlled trials from companies. 4. to end the emergency," HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr posted on X. "In a series of FDA actions today we accomplished all four goals."

Kennedy and Trump have not yet commented on any of the departures.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.