Former CDC director warns about changes to childhood vaccine schedule at hearing

Susan Monarez, the former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. plans to change routine childhood vaccines this month — without any credible scientific data. Photo by Kevin Dietsch / Getty Images

NBC News
The future of access to critical childhood vaccines, including the hepatitis B shot, became a flashpoint in a Senate health committee hearing Wednesday, just a day before an influential vaccine panel is set to meet.

At the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions hearing, Susan Monarez, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the final meeting with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that led to her being fired in August was tense.

Monarez said she refused two demands by Kennedy: fire career agency officials and sign off on vaccine recommendations without seeing any data.

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