Overview

• HHS first posted on X that Monarez was no longer CDC director and thanked her for her service before the White House confirmed her removal.
• The White House said she was not aligned with the president’s agenda and was dismissed after refusing to resign, while her lawyers said she neither resigned nor received a firing notice.
• U.S. media, including the Washington Post, reported she faced pressure to back rescinding certain COVID‑19 vaccine authorizations.
• Senior CDC official Demetre Daskalakis announced his resignation on X, saying "Trop c’est trop" and condemning pressure to produce policies that do not reflect scientific reality.
• Monarez had been confirmed by the Senate in late July and served for less than a month as RFK Jr.’s overhaul of health agencies—marked by expert dismissals, vaccine access restrictions, and funding cuts—continues.