White House taps top RFK Jr. deputy as acting CDC director [View all]

Source: Washington Post

White House taps top RFK Jr. deputy as acting CDC director

The selection of Jim O’Neill reflects Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s influence as he seeks to remake federal vaccine policy.

August 28, 2025 at 5:14 p.m. EDT Updated just now
3 min


Jim O'Neill was named acting director of the CDC on Thursday.

By Dan Diamond

The White House on Thursday selected a top deputy of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to serve as acting head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention after a clash over vaccine policy ended in the departure of several agency leaders, according to two people familiar with the decision.

The selection of Jim O’Neill, currently the deputy secretary of HHS, as interim leader of the CDC, potentially clears a path for Kennedy to continue his efforts to overhaul federal vaccine policy after the agency’s previous leader, Susan Monarez, balked at his requests.

As HHS deputy secretary, O’Neill helps oversee the agency’s sprawling operations and serves as a key aide to Kennedy. He will continue working as Kennedy’s deputy while helming the CDC, according to the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss personnel decisions.

The White House on Wednesday fired then-director Monarez on Wednesday after she refused to resign amid pressure by Kennedy and his allies to change vaccine policy. Kennedy accused Monarez of obstructing the president’s agenda and said that it was imperative to review current vaccines and revise federal recommendations, according to people who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations. ... A statement released by Monarez’s lawyers on Wednesday night said that Monarez “refused to rubber-stamp unscientific, reckless directives.”

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