By Josh Nathan-Kazis

The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired late last month testified before a Senate panel that Kennedy had told her that the CDC's recommendations for childhood vaccinations would change in September , and that she "needed to be on board with it."

Dr. Susan Monarez told the Senate health committee Wednesday that Kennedy ordered her to fire top CDC vaccine scientists and to commit to approving the recommendations of his handpicked vaccine advisers. She said she believes she was fired because she declined to go along with his demands.

The hearing comes as Kennedy ramps up his efforts to reshape how vaccines are used in the U.S. On Thursday and Friday, the CDC vaccine advisory committee -- whose members are now all Kennedy appointees -- is set to vote on changes to CDC recommendations on the use of important childhood vaccinations, and on Covid-19 shots.

Monarez testified that Kennedy told her he "spoke to the president everyday about changing the childhood vaccine schedule."

Monarez was sworn in as CDC director on July 31, shortly after her confirmation by the Senate. Kennedy fired her on Aug. 27. Other top CDC leaders resigned in the wake of Monarez's dismissal, including Dr. Debra Houry, the agency's chief medical officer, and Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. Houry also spoke at the Senate hearing.

In prepared remarks to the panel, Monarez said Kennedy told her on Aug. 25 to promise to approve all recommendations from the CDC's vaccine advisory committee "regardless of the scientific evidence." Kennedy has fired and replaced all of the committee's members.

Monarez also said Kennedy told her to fire career CDC officials working on vaccine policy "without cause."

Health and Human Services spokesman Andrew Nixon disputed Monarez's claims. "Susan Monarez was fired for declaring herself untrustworthy to the Secretary and acting maliciously to undermine the President's agenda, " Nixon said.

Nixon said the three vaccine officials Kennedy wanted dismissed had tried to undermine Kennedy's policies. Those officials "have an undeniable, documented record of exclusively supporting Democrats, leftist causes/policies, and Fauci-era medical authoritarianism."

In her prepared remarks, Monarez said she refused Kennedy's demands, and was told Kennedy still expected her to approve the vaccine advisory panel's recommendations and fire the CDC scientists.

"I would not commit to that, and I believe it is the true reason I was fired," Monarez said.

In her testimony, Monarez said Kennedy asked her if she would approve new recommendations from the vaccine advisory panel. Monarez said she told Kennedy she needed data and evidence before signing off on anything. Kennedy, she said, responded that "there is no data and evidence, there is no science, that CDC has never collected the science associated with the safety and evidence of the vaccines, and that I needed to commit to signing off on each and every one of those recommendations, and if I could not commit to that, I needed to resign."

Monarez said that the vaccine advisory meeting scheduled for Thursday and Friday could result in new guidelines that restrict access to vaccines for children "without rigorous scientific review."

The Senate committee's chair, Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican who is also a physician, pressed Houry, the fired chief medical officer, on preparations for this weeks vaccine committee meetings. Houry told Cassidy that the Kennedy's political staff worked with CDC staff to prepare for the meeting.

"Does normally the cabinet secretary or political staff set the agenda for a scientific meeting?" Cassidy asked.

"Not for the past decade I was at CDC," Dr. Houry said.

Some Republican senators, including Cassidy and Susan Collins of Maine, appeared to express concern about Kennedy's influence on the CDC.

"The recent turmoil at the CDC only serves to undermine public confidence in its recommendations," Collins said.

Write to Josh Nathan-Kazis at josh.nathan-kazis@barrons.com

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September 17, 2025 11:46 ET (15:46 GMT)

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