In late August, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Susan Monarez, was fired from her position after refusing the demands of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Monarez was told to back Kennedy’s advisor’s recommendations for vaccine restrictions and told to fire many agency officials. After refusing, Monarez was fired a month after being sworn in.
Following her termination, multiple high-ranking CDC officials resigned. Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services Jim O’Neill is now the current acting CDC director.
Berkeley High School sophomore Jaren Gaines shared his concerns about the recent changes to the leadership construction of the CDC.
“The Center for Disease Control (and Prevention) in the United States, basically the main contributor for all health data and everything that controls diseases in the U.S., is now basically comprised of exclusively anti-vaxers, and are incredibly understaffed for what they need to do,” Gaines said. An investigation by ProPublica found that since January 2025, over 20,500 workers or 18 percent of the Department of Health and Human Services’ workforce, including scientists, specialists, and front-line health staff, have been laid off.
The CDC approves recommendations for all vaccines used in America. Kennedy, a long time vaccine skeptic, has already set restrictions against certain vaccines. On Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025, the FDA updated its COVID-19 guidance, limiting the updated vaccine to people 65 and older and those with any underlying health condition which puts them at higher risk. Now, with Kennedy’s second-in-command as the acting director of the CDC, there are concerns that the CDC will continue to cut back on vaccination research. In early August, 2025, Kennedy cut $500 million in funding for mRNA vaccine development research. mRNA vaccines are a type of vaccine that include many of the most popular vaccines for COVID-19 and the flu.
There was a major measles outbreak in 12 states across the U.S. earlier this year attributed to low immunization rates. This outbreak mostly affected unvaccinated school-aged kids. As of right now, all states require vaccinations for all children entering schools, with some exceptions. Florida is currently moving to abolish vaccine mandates for schools, which would make it the first state to do this. This has brought concern to many about public safety and health. A poll by the de Beaumont Foundation shows that 79 percent of Americans support routine childhood vaccine requirements.
“If people who are in control of distribution and development for vaccines, which are the main reasons people aren’t consistently dying of diseases now, do not believe that the distribution of these vaccines should be pushed and should be even happening in the first place. Of course, diseases are going to continue to spread and people are going to die because of it,” Gaines said. The World Health Organization website writes that immunizations save millions of lives a year, and vaccines reduce disease risks.
As of Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025, there have been three confirmed deaths due to measles. Two of those three were young children. Out of the 1,454 measles cases in the U.S. this year, 92 percent were unvaccinated individuals.
Earlier this year, Florida’s current Surgeon General, Joseph Ladapo, went against medical guidance and stated that, rather than adhering to the typical quarantine period for an unvaccinated child exposed to measles (21 days), parents should make their own decisions about children’s attendance to school. Measles is one of the most infectious diseases, according to Johns Hopkins medicine, and “nine out of 10 unimmunized children who are in contact with an infected person will contract the virus,” the Johns Hopkins medicine website writes.
AP U.S. History, World of Media, and former AP Government teacher Angela Coppola shared her feelings about these events. “I feel upset because this ‘anti-expert’ nonsense has gotten people killed and even more people are going to get killed. It’s eugenics — that if you have the genes to survive then you deserve to live, but everyone else can go kick rocks,” she said.
Similarly, Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook was also suddenly fired by President Donald Trump and is suing the Trump Administration for unlawful termination. Cook and Monarez’s situations are examples of the Trump Administration interfering with institutions previously meant to be independent. According to Politico, the firing of Monarez “prompted dismay from both Democrats and Republicans ... as well as the public health establishment.” Cook’s lawsuit is currently ongoing and in the future may go to the Supreme Court. Monarez’s lawyers have spoken saying her firing was illegal, but she hasn’t yet filed a lawsuit. O’Neill will continue acting as the CDC director for the foreseeable future.