As RFK Jr.’s anti-vaccine ways turn toxic to GOP, CDC director is hard to find

March 27, 2026

Here's something that might surprise you — since August, the CDC hasn't had a confirmed director, and now there's no acting head either. Beth Mole reports that federal law caps acting appointments at 210 days, and we're well past that. The last CDC boss, Susan Monarez, was fired after reportedly pushing back against vaccine policy changes, all during the chaos of the Trump administration. Now, Jay Bhattacharya, who’s normally with NIH, was filling in but can’t officially hold the role anymore. And get this — this leadership vacuum coincides with the Trump team trying to rein in Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s anti-vaccine crusade, which is turning toxic for GOP politics. According to Beth Mole, the administration’s efforts seem aimed at distancing themselves from Kennedy’s unpopular, and often harmful, vaccine stance. So what does this all mean? With no clear CDC leadership during a contentious time, public health faces more uncertainty — especially as politics and vaccine debates collide more than ever.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention hasn't had a director since August, and now it's without even a temporary one after the Trump administration blew through a federal deadline on Wednesday to nominate someone for the permanent role.

According to federal law, there's a 210-day limit on a Senate-confirmed position being filled by someone in an acting capacity. The clock started when anti-vaccine Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired Susan Monarez from her Senate-confirmed role as CDC director in late August—allegedly after she refused to rubber-stamp changes to CDC vaccine recommendations. Until yesterday, Jay Bhattacharya, who heads the National Institutes of Health, had stepped in to also be the acting director of the CDC. But he can no longer hold the position officially.

The void of leadership comes as the Trump administration is working to restrain Kennedy after finding his relentless anti-vaccine agenda is widely unpopular and potentially harmful to Republicans in the upcoming midterm elections.

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