one Dispute about the firing Susan MonarezThe Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has intensified, and her lawyers assert that she will not leave unless the president himself takes action.
Monares formally evacuated late Wednesday after intense exchanges from the Health Minister Robert F Kennedy Jr According to the White House, attempts to expel her. Her lawyer retorted that Monares had no intention of resigning.
As confirmed by the Senate, unlike former CDC directors, Monares technically served on the president’s will, so Kennedy may not have the right to terminate her.
Monarez, an infectious disease expert, was sworn in a month ago, but soon found himself in conflict with his vaccine policy, according to people familiar with the matter. After the removal, four senior CDC leaders suddenly resigned, apparently out of frustration with Kennedy’s vaccine and his management style.
This is a breakdown of the CDC leaders involved.
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Susan Monarez
Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Monarez is a microbiologist with a bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree from the University of Wisconsin. She joined the CDC as chief deputy director in January 2025, briefly serving as acting director and was identified by the Senate as a director of the agency’s 21st Bureau on July 31. She became the first director without a medical degree and was confirmed under the 2023 law.
On August 27, she was rejected for a conflict over vaccine policies, and her legal team believed that improper action was inappropriate because only the president had the right to remove her.
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Debra Houry
Former Chief Medical Officer and Deputy Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Programs and Sciences
Houry is a doctor with degrees from Emory and Tulane University, and has served as an emergency physician and various facilities in Atlanta, and has held academic leadership positions. At the CDC, she served as Chief Medical Officer and Deputy Director of Programs and Sciences.
After she resigned in late August 2025, Monarez was removed from office, citing the spread of vaccine misinformation, imminent budget reduction and political intervention, she said undermined the agency’s mission.
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Demetre daskalakis
Former Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Daskalakis is a public health physician led by the HIV prevention and vaccination program, leading the CDC National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. He received his medical degree from NYU School of Medicine and completed his postgraduate medical training at Harvard Medical School in 2003 before joining the CDC in 2020 as Director of the HIV/AIDS Bureau of Prevention.
He resigned from the CDC on August 28 and published a letter denouncing political interventions, data manipulation and what he calls the decline in scientific integrity.
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Daniel Jernigan
Former Director of the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Jernigan, an official at the Long-term CDC, directed the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases and played a key role in flu and pandemic preparation. Jernigan first joined the CDC’s epidemic intelligence service in 1994 and worked in the branch of respiratory diseases to prevent and control bacterial respiratory pathogens.
After Monarez was removed from his post in August 2025, joining other senior officials in opposition to their view that science has politicized and reduced trust in institutional leadership.
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Jennifer Layden
Former Director of the Office of Public Health Data, Science, Technology
Layden, who leads the Office of Public Health Data, Surveillance and Technology, focuses on modernizing outbreak tracking and response systems. Layden received her MD from the University of Chicago at the University of Illinois and her PhD in Epidemiology.
After Monarez was removed from office in August 2025, she also resigned as chief medical officer in Illinois, warning of the destructive effects of political influence on science-based decisions.
Health & Wellness Contributor
A wellness enthusiast and certified nutrition advisor, Meera covers everything from healthy living tips to medical breakthroughs. Her articles aim to inform and inspire readers to live better every day.
