• RFK Jr. has never been briefed on COVID-19, measles, or flu by CDC experts, according to a former official.
• Dr. Demetre Daskalakis resigned, criticizing the political agenda influencing CDC policies.
• The Trump administration underwent significant personnel changes at the CDC, including the firing of its director.
• Experts express concern over Kennedy's leadership and his replacement of CDC advisory committee members.
• Calls for transparency and scientific integrity within the CDC have intensified following these developments.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been criticized for not seeking briefings from experts at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) on crucial public health issues such as measles, COVID-19, and the flu. Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, the former head of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, stated, "No one from my center has ever briefed him on any of those topics," during an interview on CNN. He raised concerns about where Kennedy is obtaining his information, suggesting it does not come from CDC experts, regarded as the top authorities in their field, according to Newsweek, HuffPost, and The Hill.

Daskalakis's resignation highlights significant dissatisfaction within the CDC regarding recent administrative decisions, including the removal of long-serving officials and changing the makeup of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. He noted that these shifts have prioritized political objectives over scientific guidance, emphasizing that CDC's recommendations during the COVID-19 pandemic were based on substantial evidence. Kennedy, conversely, has publicly described CDC's responses as “not science” and driven by “misinformation,” fueling a contentious atmosphere at the agency, as mentioned in HuffPost and The Hill.

Recent events at the CDC have raised alarms regarding the integrity of public health messaging. Kennedy's approach has included contracting remaining experts at the agency, pointing to a trend of discrediting established scientific practices. Daskalakis asserted, "CDC does not have bias... but the people that have been installed by Secretary Kennedy are full of ideology and bias that will actually contaminate the science." This assertion outlines a troubling divergence in leadership philosophy within the CDC, casting doubt on the decision-making processes involving public health guidance, according to Newsweek, HuffPost, and The Hill.