The White House stands by Robert F Kennedy Jr during his feud with the CDC.

The White House is defending Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr after a chaotic week at the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) that led to calls for his removal. On Friday, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller called Kennedy “a crown jewel of this administration.” Earlier this week, CDC Chief Dr Susan Monarez was fired because she was “not aligned with the president’s agenda,” and was replaced by RFK Jr’s deputy Jim O’Neill. Three senior CDC leaders have since resigned over frustrations about Kennedy’s leadership and vaccine policy. Miller called Kennedy “one of the world’s foremost voices, advocates and experts on public health.” Kennedy does not hold a medical degree and had a background in law before Trump tapped him to lead the department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The recent turmoil follows the CDC permanently firing 600 employees earlier this month. Since taking office, Kennedy, a vaccine critic, has made funding cuts and changes to how the US recommends and regulates immunizations that have angered public health experts. Former CDC Chief Medical Officer Dr Debra Houry warned about the disruption of the vaccine schedule for children and the potential spread of preventable diseases. Several Democrat senators have called for Kennedy’s resignation. Some Republicans have also expressed concern over the developments at the CDC. Robert F Kennedy Jr wrote an open letter to CDC employees, committing to restore trust, transparency, and credibility to the agency and rebuilding it into “a guardian of America’s health and security.”

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cedv3gg3x6xo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss