The woman who could impede RFK Jr.'s anti-vaccine agenda

Washington Post

5 hours ago

Susan Monarez might end up being one of the most important people in President Donald Trump's administration. As acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the nominee to hold the position permanently, she has the power to frustrate the anti-vaccine agenda of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Based on her performance at her confirmation hearing on Wednesday, she might just be up to that task.
Monarez was nominated after senators balked at the anti-vaccine positions of Dave Weldon, Trump's first choice for the job. She would be the first person without a medical degree to fill the role, but she is a well-respected scientist with a doctorate in microbiology and immunology. She also served as deputy director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health.
Most important, she has no record suggesting she subscribes to the vaccine skepticism that Kennedy and many of his newly appointed allies at the CDC have expressed. 'I think vaccines save lives,' she said at her confirmation hearing. She also defended mRNA vaccines, the technology that was used to quickly develop shots against the coronavirus, as 'safe' and insisted she has 'no a priori prejudices against mRNA platform or any other approach that is being taken to develop vaccines.'
Monarez spent much of the hearing artfully dodging difficult questions about Kennedy's actions. Regarding his decision to fire everyone on the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and replace them with his own hand-selected advisers, many of whom have criticized vaccines, she offered a cagey response: 'I agree that the secretary had to make a decision related to ensuring that the ACIP could be supportive of restoring public trust in decision-making.'
She also said the committee has 'a very vital role to play, and it must make sure that it is using science and evidence to drive that decision-making.' And she insisted its members must go through the proper ethics approval process before participating in meetings.
That's probably the best response the public could hope for from a Trump nominee. She deftly managed not to contradict Kennedy's decisions but also avoided strongly endorsing them. She sent an important signal: She could be a real impediment to those seeking to upend vaccine policies that have saved countless lives.
No recommendation from ACIP can become government policy without sign-off from the CDC director. If, for example, the committee reviews the childhood vaccine schedule or long-standing immunizations — as its new chair announced it would do on Wednesday — and determines that children shouldn't be receiving certain vaccines at certain times, despite all the evidence to the contrary, Monarez could reject that finding. She could also use her position to press for trusted voices to serve on the committee and push back against false information about vaccines.
Of course, there is no guarantee that Monarez would do all this. Trump appointees, including Kennedy, have a history of saying reassuring things about vaccines during their confirmation hearings, only to change course when in office. Nevertheless, the public would be better-off with a serious person such as Monarez at the CDC's helm.
The Senate should confirm her, and fast. Monarez, meanwhile, needs to recognize the burden she is accepting. Being CDC director is not an easy job, even in less contentious times. Having to report to Kennedy makes it incalculably harder. Lives will depend on whether Monarez resists Kennedy's efforts to make America sick again. If she's not willing to do that, she should step aside.