‘Americans are going to die’: Vaccine expert leaves CDC as RFK Jr. fires anyone with sense

A longtime vaccine policy expert has stepped down from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), expressing serious concerns about the current administration’s efforts led by RFK Jr. to lower vaccination standards. Dr. Fiona Havers, who spent 13 years at the CDC, spoke to the NY Times after resigning and warning that dismantling well-established systems could significantly increase deaths from preventable diseases.

Dr. Havers worked at the CDC for more than ten years, contributing to both U.S. and global health initiatives. She helped develop guidelines for responding to the Zika virus, assisted China in managing bird flu outbreaks, and provided guidance on safe burial practices during Liberia’s Ebola crisis. Most recently, as a senior vaccine policy advisor, she led a team that monitored critical data on Covid-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) hospitalizations.

Among scientists, government officials, and vaccine supporters, Dr. Havers was respected for her deep involvement in the CDC’s rigorous data collection efforts. She said, “If it isn’t stopped, and some of this isn’t reversed, like, immediately, a lot of Americans are going to die as a result of vaccine-preventable diseases.”

Vaccine expert warns of a disease-filled future thanks to CDC shakeup

Her resignation followed a series of actions by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that she viewed as direct attacks on federal vaccine policies. Three weeks before leaving, she saw the health secretary announce on social media that the CDC would stop recommending COVID-19 vaccines for healthy children and pregnant individuals.

A week later, he dismissed all 17 members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). He claimed, without evidence, that the committee had conflicts of interest and needed a complete overhaul to restore public confidence. He then appointed eight new members, at least half of whom appear to reject standard vaccine practices. Two of them had even testified in court against vaccine manufacturers.

These changes to the ACIP could have severe consequences for public health in the U.S. The committee’s recommendations are vital because they typically ensure that insurance will pay for vaccines. They also guide states in deciding whether to mandate vaccines for schoolchildren. Dr. Havers stated that the ACIP once operated with transparency and strict standards, but she believes that system has been severely undermined in recent weeks.

She also noted that the CDC was not consulted about any of these policy shifts. The agency has lacked a permanent director since the current administration took office. Dr. Havers was scheduled to present new data to scientific advisors soon but refused to participate in a process that would legitimize the new committee. She said she could no longer trust that her team’s data would be used properly.

Dr. Havers said, “It’s a very transparent, rigorous process, and they have just taken a sledgehammer to it in the last several weeks. CDC processes are being corrupted in a way that I haven’t seen before.”