Former US CDC chief Susan Monarez testifies RFK Jr fired her over vaccine science

Susan Monarez, the former head of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), accused US health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr of firing her after she refused to endorse forthcoming vaccine recommendations without reviewing scientific evidence to support the guidance.

Monarez was ousted just 29 days into the job over disagreement with Kennedy, her boss, on American vaccine policies.

She made the accusation in a hearing before US senators on Wednesday.

Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy, who chairs the powerful health committee Monarez appeared before, expressed scepticism over the explanations Kennedy has given over her firing.

While Cassidy carefully praised US President Donald Trump for his commitment to promoting health among Americans, he noted that senators had just approved Monarez's confirmation weeks earlier, with Kennedy praising her “unimpeachable scientific credentials”.

“Like, what happened?" Cassidy said. “Did we fail? Was there something we should have done differently?”

Monarez said in her testimony that Kennedy gave her an ultimatum: “Preapprove” new vaccine recommendations from an advisory CDC panel that Kennedy has stocked with some medical experts who doubt vaccine safety – or be fired.

That panel is expected to vote on new vaccine recommendations later this week to discuss shots against COVID-19, hepatitis B, and chickenpox.

Kennedy also demanded Monarez fire high-ranking, career CDC officials without cause, she said.

“He said if I was unwilling to do both, I should resign. I responded that I could not preapprove recommendations without reviewing the evidence, and I had no basis for firing," Monarez told senators.

Kennedy has denied Monarez’s accusations that he ordered “rubber-stamped” vaccine recommendations.

He has described Monarez as admitting to him that she is “untrustworthy,” a claim Monarez has denied through her attorney. He did, however, acknowledge during a testy Senate hearing earlier this month that he ordered Monarez to fire several top officials at the CDC.

The Senate hearing is focused on the impact the turmoil at the US’s leading public health agency, which is responsible for making vaccine recommendations to the public, will have on children’s health.