Opinion: Public health leader: Susan Monarez must be reinstated at the CDC

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has long been the world’s most prestigious public health agency. The CDC led the global efforts to eliminate smallpox, combat HIV/AIDS, shift public perception/use of tobacco products and dramatically reduce dental care issues by promoting the use of fluoride in drinking water. Its most recent success has been reducing the incidence of opioid addiction, though we are still suffering from the most recent opioid epidemic.  

Now, the CDC is under serious attack by the very people who are supposed to be responsible for improving the health of the nation. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is leading this assault. An environmental lawyer and advocate with no background in health, Kennedy is a well-known vaccine critic. His confirmation as HHS secretary was highly controversial, but he was approved after giving assurances that he would follow the advice of his highly-qualified scientists. He has broken every promise he has made to members of Congress and the public.

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