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Susan Monarez has been forced out as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) just weeks after the Senate confirmed her for the job, a big new shake-up for the beleaguered public health agency.

The initial news of her removal was reported by The Washington Post, which spoke to several officials in the Trump administration. When Ars Technica reached out to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for confirmation, the department directed Ars to a post on its official X account, which stated:

Susan Monarez is no longer director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We thank her for her dedicated service to the American people. @SecKennedy has full confidence in his team at @CDCgov, who will continue to be vigilant in protecting Americans against infectious diseases at home and abroad.”

The post made no mention of why Monarez was no longer in charge, but according to The Washington Post, U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an outspoken anti-vaccine activist, had repeatedly badgered Monarez over her positions on COVID-19 vaccines. Kennedy reportedly asked her to rescind the approval of COVID-19 vaccines, but she refused to do so without first consulting with the CDC’s vaccine advisory committees. Kennedy then asked her to resign, accusing her of not standing behind President Trump.

Monarez refused to resign. Instead, she reached out to Senator Bill Cassidy (R-La. ), who had been crucial to Kennedy’s own Senate confirmation earlier this year after he extracted promises from him. Cassidy resisted Kennedy’s demands, leading to a fiery confrontation between the two. After that meeting, administration officials told Monarez that she must resign or be fired.

Lawyers for Monarez, Mark Zaid, and Abbe Lowell, put out a statement on social media asserting that Monarez has not resigned and has not been officially informed by the White House of her termination. “Her ouster came after she refused to rubber-stamp unscientific, reckless directives and fire dedicated health experts,” the statement read. “She chose protecting the public over serving a political agenda.” Zaid later told Ars Technica that as of 8:15 p.m. ET on August 27, Monarez had not received any official notice of her termination.

The CDC Is at a Breaking Point

Monarez’s confirmation in late July had been a significant development. Monarez was confirmed in a 51–47 party-line vote. She was the first CDC director in history to be subject to Senate confirmation, as a 2022 law required it. Kennedy himself administered the oath of office on July 31 and praised her as having “unimpeachable scientific credentials” and vowing to work to restore the agency’s reputation.

Monarez has an extensive and well-regarded résumé. She holds a PhD in microbiology and immunology and served as deputy director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) under the Biden administration. She previously worked at the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), as well as the Department of Homeland Security, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and the National Security Council. She had also served briefly as acting CDC director earlier in the year, before stepping down when Trump nominated her for the permanent role.

Monarez’s appointment had been warmly received by public health experts. Jennifer Nuzzo of Brown University said she was “a loyal, hardworking civil servant who leads with evidence and pragmatism.” Georges Benjamin, the head of the American Public Health Association, praised her as “a strong researcher and an effective and capable manager.”