Dr. Erica Schwartz has been confirmed as the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) amid the Cyclospora outbreak and disputes over vaccine policy.
| PULSE POINTS |
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: The United States Senate has confirmed Dr. Erica Schwartz as the new Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in a party-line vote. 📺 DETAIL: Dr. Schwartz, who served as Deputy Surgeon General during President Donald J. Trump’s first term, faced questioning from the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee. In response to questions regarding how she would respond to supposedly politically motivated orders, Dr. Schwartz said: “The Secretary [of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.] will absolutely allow me to be CDC director.” The Senate’s questioning concluded with Dr. Schwartz being appointed. “I’m confident that she knows what she is doing and will stand against those who do not,” said Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Chairman of the HELP Committee. 💬 KEY QUOTE: “You can be CDC director and just take orders… We need a CDC director that will actually stand up to crazy, stupid things being said that undermine faith in immunization.” – Sen. Bill Cassidy. 🎯 IMPACT: Dr. Schwartz’s appointment as Director of the CDC coincides with an outbreak of Cyclospora, a parasite that causes severe diarrhea. The spread of the parasite has been linked to contaminated lettuce. Her appointment also coincides with ongoing disputes over vaccine policy. The nature of her appointment demonstrates how even ostensibly apolitical roles can evoke deep partisan tensions, as exhibited by the fact that Dr. Schwartz did not receive a full confirmation vote. Dr. Schwartz is not the only person to be appointed to the role during this Congress. Her predecessor, Susan Monarez, served briefly as Director of the CDC before being removed following a reported disagreement with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 📺 FLASHBACK: Thus far, two Michigan residents have died from Cyclospora, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. The department also recorded 193 hospitalizations by the end of last month, far above the state’s typical annual 50 cases. Since the outbreak began, President Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on Mexico due to the parasite being linked to lettuce imports from the country. |
Image by Military Health / Mike Olliver.
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