Former CDC Immunizations Chief Resigns, Alarming Public Health Leaders Over RFK Jr.’s HHS Direction
Former CDC Immunizations Chief Resigns, Alarming Public Health Leaders Over RFK Jr.’s HHS Direction
Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, the former Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the CDC, has resigned in protest, issuing a stark warning about the future of public health under Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Appearing on ABC News’ ‘This Week’ on August 31, 2025, Daskalakis expressed profound concern, stating, ‘I only see harm coming.’ His resignation, submitted last Wednesday, follows the controversial removal of CDC Director Susan Monarez from her position.
Daskalakis, who previously served as the CDC’s immunizations chief, denounced Secretary Kennedy Jr.’s leadership, specifically highlighting a perceived ideological shift within the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP) and a desire to ‘undo vaccination.’ He criticized new, restrictive recommendations for the fall COVID-19 vaccine, which now primarily target individuals aged 65 and up or those with high-risk health conditions, creating widespread confusion.
‘The firewall between science and ideology has completely broken down,’ Daskalakis asserted, explaining that he no longer believed it was possible to present science free of political influence. He added that the absence of a scientific leader at the CDC, post-Monarez’s removal, undermines the agency’s ability to execute effective public health strategies.
Echoing Daskalakis’s alarm, former acting CDC Director Dr. Richard Besser, now CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, voiced deep concerns over the agency’s major shake-up. Besser warned of ‘profound’ negative impacts on America’s protection from future public health threats, including new infectious agents or the next pandemic. He also raised red flags about Kennedy’s stance on vaccine mandates, fearing a shift towards parental choice that could endanger vulnerable populations and reverse decades of public health progress.
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