Top CDC Official Debra Houry Issues Warnings Regarding RFK Jr.'s Proposed Alterations
In a surprising turn of events, Dr. Debra Houry, M.D., M.P.H., stepped down from her position as the Chief Medical Officer and Deputy Director for Program and Science at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Contrary to speculation, Dr. Houry did not move to another government agency following her resignation. Instead, she left amidst disagreements over vaccination policy and misinformation.
Dr. Houry's career at the CDC spans over four presidential administrations, including President Trump's first term. She served six CDC directors during this tenure. Prior to her time at the CDC, Dr. Houry worked with Dr. Art Kellermann from 2002 to 2010 at Emory University's Department of Emergency Medicine and Center for Injury Control and Prevention.
During her time at the CDC, the Trump administration prioritised pandemic preparedness, vaccine development, and tackling the opioid epidemic. Dr. Houry spoke carefully but forcefully to ensure that the science, guidance, and programmatic work coming out of CDC was data-driven and evidence-based.
However, it seems that not all decisions aligned with Dr. Houry's principles. CDC staff were instructed to provide a contractor direct access to the CDC's Vaccine Safety Datalink, bypassing standard procedures for ensuring personal identifying information security. Additionally, the CDC scientific document on thimerosal was removed at the direction of the secretary's office, while an unvetted presentation on thimerosal was allowed.
Dr. Houry's resignation was a response to the firing of former CDC Director Susan Monarez, Ph.D. She resigned alongside Drs. Jernigan and Daskalakis, calling it her "Bat-Signal". During her final months, Dr. Houry was the only permanent career leader left in the Office of the Director at the CDC.
In a Senate Committee hearing, Dr. Houry expressed her belief that Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is incompetent and dangerous to the American people's health. However, she was never granted an opportunity to brief Secretary Kennedy.
Dr. Houry's written testimony to the Senate states that the current leadership of HHS is failing to meet the expectations of telling the truth, keeping partisan fights out of the doctor's office, and being ready. She hopes Wednesday's hearing will restore transparency, invest in what works, and rebuild trust to allow prevention to do its lifesaving work.
Dr. Houry's resignation is a warning that crippling the CDC will severely harm the health of the nation and threaten the lives of children. Her career shift to the CDC was motivated by her desire to prevent life-threatening diseases and injuries, a mission she continues to advocate for even after her departure.
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