With NIH in chaos, its controversial director is taking over CDC, too

Here's something that caught my attention — Jay Bhattacharya, the controversial NIH boss, is now also running the CDC. Yep, he's acting director there too, and honestly, it’s raising eyebrows everywhere. Beth Mole from Technology reports that this bizarre move comes during a leadership mess at HHS, under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who's not exactly popular among scientists. The CDC has already seen three different leaders in just a short time, and Bhattacharya stepping in adds fuel to the fire. Former acting director Susan Monarez was ousted after refusing to push vaccine policies she didn't agree with — she apparently clashed with Kennedy’s anti-vaccine circle. Now, critics worry that this dual role might muddle public health priorities at a critical time. So what does this actually mean? It’s a clear sign that the whole system’s in flux, and with so much controversy swirling, only time will tell how this will impact the future of public health in America.