New CDC Director Acknowledges Agency Problems in First Large Staff Meeting
She said she will meet with employees and defend a childhood vaccine safety task force as the agency faces burnout and staffing losses.
- On Wednesday, new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Erica Schwartz told staff the agency is prepared to manage disease outbreaks, stating, "I absolutely believe that vaccines are safe and effective."
- Largely due to layoffs and resignations, the CDC has lost over 3,000 employees, more than one-quarter of its workforce, creating low morale and "zombie" programs that lack personnel to execute work.
- Schwartz, the 22nd CDC leader, noted she has already had "three or four" meetings with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and promised to "speak truth to power" despite tensions.
- A new task force is "looking at all of the possibilities regarding immunizations and patient-parent choice," Schwartz said, with the panel given 90 days to report findings to President Donald Trump.
- At least 2,566 confirmed measles illnesses have occurred in the largest outbreak in 35 years, leaving the United States at risk of losing its elimination status later this year.
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Africa: The CDC Has a New Director - Now Comes the Hard Part
Analysis - The new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Erica Schwartz, confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Aug. 5, 2026, is only the second CDC director to face Senate confirmation. Congress adopted the process for the agency after the COVID-19 pandemic to bring more scrutiny to one of the country's most consequential public health jobs, as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023.
Associated Press News
New CDC director acknowledges agency problems in first large staff meeting
Dr. Erica Schwartz, the new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is promising to advocate for the agency while addressing staff burnout and understaffing issues.
New CDC Head Apologizes for Staff’s Lack of Psychological Safety
The new director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told agency employees that she wants them to feel safe and not fear retributions for honest conversations, according to a recording of the meeting heard by Bloomberg News.
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