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Trump nominates Erica Schwartz, former deputy surgeon general, to head CDC
Stephanie Soucheray, MA
Today at 5:16 p.m.
Public Health
“Erica graduated from Brown University for College and Medical School, and served a distinguished career as a Doctor of Medicine in the United States Military, the Greatest and Most Powerful Force in the World, and then served as my Deputy Surgeon General during my First Term,” Trump wrote in a lengthy Truth Social post. Trump also appointed Sean Slovenski as the CDC deputy director and chief operating officer, Jennifer Shuford, MD, MPH, as the CDC deputy director and chief medical officer, and Sara Brenner, MD, MPH, as senior counselor for public health to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
“These Highly Respected Doctors of Medicine have the knowledge, experience, and TOP degrees to restore the GOLD STANDARD OF SCIENCE at the CDC,” Trump said.
Schwartz is set to inherit a chaotic and hollowed CDC, one that has seen public firings, the resurgence of measles across the nation, and legally disputed changes to routine vaccine recommendations. Polling also shows that Kennedy’s anti-vaccine “Make America Healthy Again” agenda isn’t sitting well with voters, and may be a liability in the midterm elections for Republicans.
The CDC is an agency within HHS.
Schwartz developed Coast Guard pandemic policy
Schwartz spent 24 years in the US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and served as a rear admiral in the Coast Guard before serving as deputy surgeon general during Trump’s first term. According to CNN, Schwartz wrote Coast Guard policy on pandemic influenza and other viral disease outbreaks.
Schwartz will go before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee for a confirmation hearing at an unknown date. She is Trump’s third pick for the job. Currently Jay Bhattacharya, MD, PhD, the director of the National Institutes of Health is also acting as head of the CDC, after Susan Monarez, PhD, was ousted last summer less than a month into her stint as director.
Monarez said she fell out of favor with Kennedy after she refused to kowtow to some of his anti-vaccine policy and changes.
“I could not pre-approve recommendations without reviewing the evidence, and I had no basis to fire scientific experts,” Monarez told lawmakers last September. “Even under pressure, I could not replace evidence with ideology or compromise my integrity.”
I look forward to working together to restore trust, accountability, and scientific integrity at the CDC.
Today Kennedy celebrated Trump’s pick. “Thank you, President Trump, for nominating Dr. Erica Schwartz to serve as CDC Director,” he wrote on X. “I look forward to working together to restore trust, accountability, and scientific integrity at the CDC.”
Trump nominates Erica Schwartz, former deputy surgeon general, to head CDC
Stephanie Soucheray, MA
Today at 5:16 p.m.
Public Health
Erica Schwartz, MD, JD, MPH, former Coast Guard officer, is President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Trump announced late this afternoon.“Erica graduated from Brown University for College and Medical School, and served a distinguished career as a Doctor of Medicine in the United States Military, the Greatest and Most Powerful Force in the World, and then served as my Deputy Surgeon General during my First Term,” Trump wrote in a lengthy Truth Social post. Trump also appointed Sean Slovenski as the CDC deputy director and chief operating officer, Jennifer Shuford, MD, MPH, as the CDC deputy director and chief medical officer, and Sara Brenner, MD, MPH, as senior counselor for public health to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
“These Highly Respected Doctors of Medicine have the knowledge, experience, and TOP degrees to restore the GOLD STANDARD OF SCIENCE at the CDC,” Trump said.
Schwartz is set to inherit a chaotic and hollowed CDC, one that has seen public firings, the resurgence of measles across the nation, and legally disputed changes to routine vaccine recommendations. Polling also shows that Kennedy’s anti-vaccine “Make America Healthy Again” agenda isn’t sitting well with voters, and may be a liability in the midterm elections for Republicans.
The CDC is an agency within HHS.
Schwartz developed Coast Guard pandemic policy
Schwartz spent 24 years in the US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and served as a rear admiral in the Coast Guard before serving as deputy surgeon general during Trump’s first term. According to CNN, Schwartz wrote Coast Guard policy on pandemic influenza and other viral disease outbreaks.
Schwartz will go before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee for a confirmation hearing at an unknown date. She is Trump’s third pick for the job. Currently Jay Bhattacharya, MD, PhD, the director of the National Institutes of Health is also acting as head of the CDC, after Susan Monarez, PhD, was ousted last summer less than a month into her stint as director.
Monarez said she fell out of favor with Kennedy after she refused to kowtow to some of his anti-vaccine policy and changes.
“I could not pre-approve recommendations without reviewing the evidence, and I had no basis to fire scientific experts,” Monarez told lawmakers last September. “Even under pressure, I could not replace evidence with ideology or compromise my integrity.”
I look forward to working together to restore trust, accountability, and scientific integrity at the CDC.
Today Kennedy celebrated Trump’s pick. “Thank you, President Trump, for nominating Dr. Erica Schwartz to serve as CDC Director,” he wrote on X. “I look forward to working together to restore trust, accountability, and scientific integrity at the CDC.”