CDC spiraled into chaos this week. Here's where things stand.

"The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention descended into turmoil this week after Health Secretary and zealous anti-vaccine advocate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ousted the agency's director, Susan Monarez, who had just weeks ago been confirmed by the Senate and earned Kennedy's praise for her "unimpeachable scientific credentials." It appears those scientific chops are what led to her swift downfall."

"The ouster appeared to be a breaking point for the agency overall, which has never fully recovered from the public pummeling it received at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. In its weakened position, the agency has since endured an onslaught of further criticism, vilification, and misinformation from Kennedy and the Trump administration, which also delivered brutal cuts, significantly slashing CDC's workforce, shuttering vital health programs, and hamstringing others."

"Earlier this month, a gunman, warped by vaccine misinformation, opened fire on the CDC's campus, riddling its buildings with hundreds of bullets, killing a local police officer, and traumatizing agency staff. Monarez's expulsion represents the loss of a scientifically qualified leader who could have tried to shield the agency from some ideological attacks. As such, it quickly triggered a cascade of high-profile resignations at the CDC, a mass walkout of its staff, and outrage among lawmakers and health experts."

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., serving as Health Secretary, removed Susan Monarez as CDC director despite her recent Senate confirmation and praised scientific credentials. Media reports indicate her dismissal resulted from refusal to conform to Kennedy's anti-vaccine, anti-science agenda. The agency, already weakened after pandemic-era criticism and budget cuts, has faced staff reductions, program closures, and persistent vilification. Earlier attacks fueled by misinformation culminated in a mass shooting at the CDC campus that killed an officer and traumatized employees. Monarez's removal prompted high-profile resignations, a large staff walkout, and bipartisan outrage, furthering concerns about ideological interference in public health operations.

Read at Ars Technica