September 2025 – The National Association of Occupational Health Professionals (NAOHP) strongly condemns the recent mismanagement and misdirected guidance at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) under the influence of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. In the past months, RFK Jr. has repeatedly interfered with the CDC’s evidence-based recommendations and scientific leadership—actions that undermine public trust and endanger the health of American workers and communities. We join a growing chorus of physicians, scientists, and former CDC directors in denouncing this anti-scientific agenda and calling for a return to truth, transparency, and evidence-based practice in public health.
A Troubling Shift Away from Science
Since taking office, RFK Jr. has injected personal ideology into the CDC’s operations, overriding the rigorous, science-driven processes that traditionally guide public health decisions. The ousting of CDC Director Dr. Susan Monarez—reportedly for refusing to enact vaccine policy changes she felt “flew in the face of science”—and the mass resignation of senior CDC experts in protest illustrate the alarming direction of the agency (Reuters, Aug. 28, 2025; Washington Post, Aug. 28, 2025). Career public health leaders warn that the firewall between politics and science at CDC has “completely broken down,” raising fears of long-term damage to the agency’s credibility and our preparedness for the next health emergency (ABC News, Aug. 31, 2025).
Multiple recent actions by RFK Jr. directly contradict established scientific recommendations and the consensus of medical experts. Notable examples include:
- Purging Vaccine Experts: RFK Jr. dismissed members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)—the independent panel that for decades provided transparent, evidence-based vaccine guidance—and moved to replace them with ideological allies. Former CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden called the move “extreme,” warning it undermines a globally respected process and threatens Americans’ health (TIME, June 16, 2025; see also analysis on the unprecedented removal of the advisory committee in Health Policy Watch, June 10, 2025).
- Politicizing Vaccine Policy & Blocking Access: Federal authorities have sharply narrowed COVID-19 vaccine access, authorizing updated doses primarily for seniors and certain high-risk groups—over objections from infectious disease experts who say the evidence supports broader access. The Infectious Diseases Society of America and other experts warned these actions “contradict the evidence base,” erode trust, and remove protection for millions (Health Policy Watch, Aug. 27, 2025). In contrast, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends COVID-19 vaccination for all children ages 6–23 months and for older children in specified risk groups (AAP News, Aug. 19, 2025; HealthyChildren.org, Aug. 19, 2025; policy statement abstract via PubMed).
- Undermining Childhood Immunization: RFK Jr. has publicly disparaged the universal hepatitis B birth-dose recommendation—longstanding guidance that protects infants from a virus that can cause liver failure and cancer later in life. By contrast, CDC and pediatric experts are clear: all infants should receive a HepB vaccine dose at birth (CDC Hepatitis B—Perinatal Vaccine; general guidance: CDC HepB Vaccine Administration; see also evidence summaries from the AAP and Hepatitis B Foundation).
- Spreading Misinformation: Kennedy has continued to insinuate a false link between vaccines and autism—despite extensive research showing no causal connection—and has repeated claims about vaccine ingredients and efficacy that contradict decades of peer-reviewed evidence (Washington Post, Aug. 28, 2025).
Public Health Leaders Speak Out
RFK Jr.’s disregard for scientific expertise has drawn fierce condemnation from public health leaders:
- Dr. Richard Besser, former acting CDC Director, said the upheaval will be “profound,” voicing “great fears for what will happen to this country the next time we face a public health emergency” (ABC News, Aug. 31, 2025).
- Dr. Tom Frieden, CDC Director from 2009–2017, rebuked RFK Jr.’s vaccine policies as “misguided” and “dangerous,” warning they will cause more people to suffer and die from preventable diseases (TIME, June 16, 2025).
- In a rare joint statement, eight former CDC Directors warned that hollowing out the agency’s scientific capacity is “a prescription for disaster” that will “cost lives and damage the economy.” They emphasized that the CDC’s core mission is to protect Americans from all health threats, and weakening it leaves the nation vulnerable (STAT, Sept. 5, 2024).
Even within the agency, career scientists have spoken out. Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, who resigned rather than carry out RFK Jr.’s directives, said the CDC was being forced to produce policies “that do not reflect scientific reality and are designed to hurt the public’s health” (ABC News interview, Aug. 31, 2025; see broader coverage in the Washington Post and Reuters live updates). Following Monarez’s ouster, HHS named Jim O’Neill as interim CDC chief—another decision questioned by public health leaders given the need for seasoned scientific leadership (Reuters, Aug. 29, 2025).
Trust in Science: Essential for Worker Health and Public Safety
NAOHP emphasizes that trust in scientific leadership and evidence-based practice is paramount in protecting worker health and public safety. Occupational health professionals rely on credible guidance from agencies like the CDC to keep workplaces safe from infectious diseases, environmental hazards, and other health threats. When political agendas override scientific expertise, every sector of society—including our workplaces—is left more vulnerable.
We urge a restoration of scientific integrity and leadership at the CDC. History has shown that public trust in health institutions is earned through rigorous science, not political dictates. As Dr. Frieden wrote, if one truly wants to restore trust, they must “let scientists do science.” Protecting America’s workers and communities demands nothing less. Occupational health professionals stand with the broader medical community in insisting that science—not ideology—guide the CDC. We support every CDC employee and public health leader who, like Dr. Monarez, stands up for sound science in the face of political pressure.
NAOHP is resolute: We will continue to champion scientific truth and support the CDC’s essential mission to safeguard public health.
Signed,
Larry Earl, MD, President
National Association of Occupational Health Professionals (NAOHP)
