Dr Erica Schwartz was confirmed by the US Senate on August 5 as the new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with a vote of 51-44 [1, 2, 3]. She is President Donald Trump's third nominee to lead the agency during his current term and the first permanent CDC director since Susan Monarez was fired last year after less than a month on the job [1, 2, 3].
The CDC has faced major upheaval over the past two years, including leadership turnover, low morale, mass resignations, and layoffs leading to the loss of about 3,000 workers [2]. Dr Georges Benjamin of the American Public Health Association said the agency "desperately needs stability, experienced leadership and a steadfast commitment to science" following this turmoil [2].
Schwartz, age 54, holds medical and law degrees and previously served as deputy surgeon general [2, 3]. During her Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee hearing last month, she assured senators that Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. would allow her to run the CDC independently without political interference. She said, "The Secretary will absolutely allow me to be CDC director" [3].
Senator Bill Cassidy expressed early doubts about Schwartz’s ability to stand up to Health Secretary Kennedy’s political pressure but later said, "I’m confident that she knows what she is doing and will stand against those who do not." He stressed the need for a director who would oppose "crazy, stupid things being said that undermine faith in immunization" [3].
The new CDC director faces urgent public health challenges including the worst measles resurgence in 30 years and falling childhood vaccination rates [2, 3]. There is also an ongoing Cyclospora outbreak linked to contaminated lettuce causing widespread diarrhea across the US [3].
Schwartz succeeds Susan Monarez, who clashed with Kennedy over vaccine policy and was fired last year, and David Weldon, Trump’s first CDC nominee, who withdrew before his confirmation hearing in March 2025 [1, 2, 3]. Schwartz’s confirmation follows intense scrutiny of her qualifications and ability to lead amidst agency upheaval.
Her confirmation is expected to bring much-needed stability to the CDC as it addresses these ongoing public health threats and rebuilds its workforce. The agency’s focus will likely remain on restoring public trust in vaccinations and controlling infectious disease outbreaks in the months ahead.
