Houry, who resigned after Monarez was eliminated, stated that she made the choice to go away her publish as a result of “CDC leaders have been decreased to rubber stamps, supporting insurance policies not primarily based on science and placing American lives in danger.”
She criticized Kennedy’s management as head of Well being and Human Companies and accused him of censoring CDC science, politicizing its processes and stripping the company’s leaders of independence.
“I couldn’t in good conscience stay below these circumstances,” Houry stated.
She stated the nation is on observe to see vital will increase in preventable ailments and declines in well being “as a result of secretary’s actions.”
“Belief and transparency have been damaged,” Houry stated. “Right here once more, the issue will not be an excessive amount of science, however too little.”
Houry detailed the circulation of knowledge throughout the Division of Well being and Human Companies below Kennedy’s tenure, together with studying that Kennedy had modified the CDC’s COVID-19 vaccine steerage by way of a social media publish. She stated CDC scientists haven’t seen the info or justification for these modifications.
Houry additionally stated the secretary’s workplace ordered the removing of a scientific doc on thimerosal, an natural compound used as a preservative in drug merchandise, from the CDC’s web site and allowed an “unvetted presentation” on the additive earlier than ACIP.
“That sort of last-minute alteration undermines confidence and the deliberations that observe, and is definitely not radical transparency,” Houry stated.
