The director of the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is still in her position despite an announcement by the White House that she had been fired, one of her lawyers has said.
According to them, Susan Monarez – who has only been in the job for a month – had refused “to rubber-stamp unscientific, reckless directives” and has accused Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr of “weaponising public health”.
The reason for her removal was that she was “not aligned with the president’s agenda”, the White House said in a statement.
But her lawyer said only President Donald Trump could remove her.
At least three senior CDC leaders resigned from the agency, some citing frustration over vaccine policy and the leadership of Kennedy, also known as RFK.
Among them was Chief Medical Officer Debra Houry, who warned about the “rise of misinformation” about vaccines in a letter seen by the BBC’s US partner CBS News. She also argued against planned cuts to the agency’s budget.
A long-time federal government scientist, Dr Monarez was nominated by President Donald Trump to lead the CDC and was confirmed in a Senate vote along party lines in July.
Her nomination followed Trump withdrawing his first pick, former Republican Congressman Dave Weldon, who had come under fire for his views on vaccines and autism.
On Wednesday, Dr Monarez’s lawyers issued a statement saying that she had chosen “protecting the public over serving a political agenda”.
The White House statement announcing the termination of her post said: “As her attorney’s statement makes abundantly clear, Susan Monarez is not aligned with the president’s agenda.”
—BBC