Former CDC Directors Warn About the “Danger” of RFK Jr. as Health Secretary

Former CDC Directors Sound the Alarm

RFK Jr Sparks Controversy

Risk to Public Health

According to EFE, a group of nine former directors and acting directors of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a public warning about what they consider a “danger” to public health if Robert F. Kennedy Jr continues to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.

The warning was published in a joint essay in The New York Times, titled: “We Ran the CDC: Kennedy Is Endangering the Health of All Americans.”

The signatories explained that Kennedy’s decisions are unprecedented in the nation’s history, as they jeopardize the scientific foundations that have guided national health policy for decades.

The essay comes after CDC Director Susan Monarez was dismissed. She said she was removed for refusing to follow “reckless orders” on vaccines, amid political tensions with President Donald Trump.

RFK Jr as Health Secretary Under Fire

Former CDC Directors Warn About the “Danger” of RFK Jr as Health Secretary – FOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

The essay was signed by key figures who have led the CDC at different times under both Democratic and Republican administrations.

Among them are William Foege, William Roper, David Satcher, Jeffrey Koplan, Richard Besser, Tom Frieden, Anne Schuchat, Rochelle P. Walensky, and Mandy K. Cohen.

The former directors stressed that they had never before come together to make a joint statement of this magnitude, reflecting how seriously they view Kennedy’s actions.

They explained that although they occasionally disagreed with Health Department leaders, there was always certainty that decisions were based on solid data and reliable scientific evidence.

Criticism of Kennedy Jr’s Decisions

RFK Jr as Health Secretary – PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

The article listed several measures taken by Kennedy Jr. that, in the former directors’ view, endanger the nation’s health security.

They highlighted the cancellation of investments in promising medical research, which could leave the United States poorly prepared for future health emergencies.

They also criticized the replacement of experts on advisory committees with unqualified individuals chosen solely for sharing Kennedy’s ideological and medical views.

In addition, they denounced the suspension of support for global vaccination programs, essential for protecting millions of children worldwide and for preventing outbreaks that could directly affect Americans.

RFK Jr as Health Secretary, and Autism

RFK Jr as Health Secretary – PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

The former directors warned that these decisions, coupled with Kennedy’s public rhetoric, represent a setback in U.S. health policy.

“We are concerned about the broad impact all these decisions will have on the health security of the United States,” they wrote jointly.

The essay also called on Congress to exercise stricter oversight of the Department of Health, in order to prevent what they see as the dismantling of public prevention and vaccination policies.

The warning takes on greater weight in a country still grappling with the aftermath of the pandemic and in need of strong structures to face global health crises.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr’s Personal Stances

The controversy surrounding Kennedy Jr is not limited to his decisions as Health Secretary but also extends to his personal convictions.

He has repeatedly expressed skepticism about vaccines, raising alarms among the scientific community and international health organizations.

He has also spoken out strongly against abortion, a position that clashes with existing law and with the views of large segments of U.S. society.

His opposition to the controlled fluoridation of drinking water, a measure intended to reduce dental cavities, has been described as a step backward from health policies supported by decades of scientific evidence.

Debate on Autism and Scientific Misinformation

One of Kennedy Jr’s most controversial announcements is the publication of a report in September that, he claims, will identify definitive factors as causes of autism.

This claim has been rejected by most experts, who remind the public that studies have conclusively shown there is no link between vaccines and autism.

The former CDC directors warn that such statements contribute to the spread of misinformation, undermining trust in public health institutions.

The controversy reflects a clash between science and politics—with the risk that the American public will receive contradictory messages that erode confidence in preventive medicine.