Nationwide — Dr. Erica Schwartz is President Trump’s pick to lead the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention. The nomination comes as vaccine policy debates intensify following recent congressional hearings involving top health officials.
Her selection came shortly after testimony from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who offered mixed remarks on vaccines. According to CNN, he said the measles vaccine is safe and effective for most people and may be safer than getting infected. He also agreed under questioning that vaccination might have prevented a child’s death during a Texas measles outbreak, but he pushed back on claims linking him to declining vaccination rates.
Schwartz has deep experience in public health and government service. She previously served as deputy surgeon general during Trump’s first administration. She also spent 24 years in the US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and retired as a rear admiral in the Coast Guard. Her academic background includes a medical degree from Brown University and a law degree from the University of Maryland.
Kennedy and his team recommended Schwartz alongside other officials chosen to rebuild CDC leadership. The group includes FDA Principal Deputy Commissioner Dr. Sara Brenner, Texas Health Commissioner Dr. Jennifer Shuford, who will serve as CDC deputy director and chief medical officer, and former Walmart and Humana executive Sean Slovenski, who will take on a senior operations role.
Schwartz steps into a CDC that has gone through major internal changes. Kennedy removed CDC Director Dr. Susan Monarez after she refused to approve vaccine policy changes, a move that triggered senior resignations across the agency. A 17-member vaccine advisory panel was also dismissed and replaced. Some of these actions have been challenged in court. Earlier workforce reductions cut staff across multiple divisions, with some roles later restored after legal action. Several CDC web pages were also revised without scientific review, raising concerns among agency staff.
Public health data shows rising infectious disease trends in the US. Measles cases have reached their highest level in decades. Whooping cough and mumps cases have also increased alongside declining vaccination rates. Officials have warned that the country risks losing its measles elimination status if transmission continues.
Schwartz will now go through Senate confirmation hearings before the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Leadership at the CDC remains in transition, with Dr. Jay Bhattacharya currently overseeing the agency in an acting capacity while also leading the National Institutes of Health due to limits on acting appointments.