Who's Really Running the CDC? Power Struggles, Confusion, and Controversy
Who exactly is in charge at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)? The answer isn’t as straightforward as you might expect — and that’s raising serious concerns.
With no confirmed or acting CDC director, legal experts argue that Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the current Secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), effectively holds direct authority over the agency. This gives him the power to approve – or block – vaccine recommendations.
But Kennedy recently testified before the Senate claiming someone else is leading the CDC, causing a wave of confusion that could lead to legal challenges.
“There’s not a CDC director or acting director. Essentially, RFK Jr is running the CDC,” said Paul Offit, a pediatrics professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine.
Legal scholars like Renée Landers from Suffolk University Law School say Kennedy now has expanded authority to shape CDC policy without a Senate-confirmed director in place.
The situation became even more controversial when Kennedy fired 17 independent vaccine advisors, replacing them with less-experienced individuals, some with known anti-vaccine affiliations. This move, especially given Kennedy’s own history of anti-vaccine rhetoric and denial of germ theory, has raised alarm bells.
On Thursday, the newly appointed advisers made their first major decision: a vote to ban thimerosal, a preservative with a strong safety record, from 4% of flu vaccines in the U.S. While the other 96% of flu vaccines, and all childhood vaccines, are already thimerosal-free, this decision could limit access for certain populations.
Typically, such recommendations would require a CDC director’s approval. But with that role vacant, the power lies directly with Kennedy — and he’s already shown he’s willing to use it.
On May 13, with no CDC director confirmed, Kennedy personally approved recommendations for the Chikungunya vaccine to be included in official CDC guidance.
However, two other vaccines — for RSV and meningitis — haven’t received the green light. These were recommended by the now-dismissed vaccine committee back in April, and it's unclear if or when they’ll receive CDC endorsement.
Kennedy also ordered the CDC to revise its COVID-19 vaccine guidance, reducing the recommendation for children and completely withdrawing it for pregnant individuals. This is despite clear scientific evidence showing that pregnancy increases risk of severe illness and even death from COVID-19.
“This leadership vacuum is dangerous,” Landers emphasized. “It lets Kennedy make decisions that go against scientific consensus.”
A 2023 law now requires the CDC director to go through Senate confirmation, making this a historic first for the agency.
“This is uncharted territory,” said Landers.
Earlier this year, David Weldon was nominated for the role, but his name was withdrawn just hours before his confirmation hearing in March.
Susan Monarez stepped in as acting director on January 23, but had to vacate the role once she was nominated for the permanent position on March 24. Under current law, nominees cannot serve as acting directors.
Monarez testified in her confirmation hearing on Wednesday, but there’s no word yet on when a vote will take place.
In the meantime, the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998 gives Kennedy — as HHS Secretary — full authority over the CDC. And this authority cannot be passed down to other staff.
“Only the HHS secretary can take on these duties,” said Anne Joseph O’Connell, professor at Stanford Law School. “They can’t be delegated to lower officials.”
But here’s the twist: Kennedy told a Senate committee in May that Matt Buzzelli is currently in charge of the CDC. Buzzelli, a lawyer, is listed as the chief of staff in the CDC Director’s office — not the director himself.
“Buzzelli cannot be the acting head of the CDC,” O’Connell asserted. “He doesn’t meet any legal criteria.”
According to her, Buzzelli isn’t Senate-confirmed, wasn’t the first assistant, and hadn’t served the required 90 days in the year prior to the last director’s departure.
“There’s no loophole here,” O’Connell added. “He legally cannot lead the CDC.”
The chaos is worsened by the Trump administration’s failure to update official personnel records. Federal agencies, including the CDC, are required to submit staffing updates every year to the Office of Personnel Management — and they missed the deadline in March.
Description:
"Confusion grips the CDC as Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wields authority in the absence of a confirmed director. From firing vaccine experts to rewriting COVID guidelines, the stakes are high. Here's what’s really happening behind closed doors."