A former official from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has raised concerns regarding both his own previously implemented policies and those of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is currently the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This resignation followed a dismissal from his job last week.
Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, who served as the director of the CDC’s Center for Vaccination and Respiratory Diseases, stepped down on Wednesday after the White House terminated agency director Susan Monares. In a conversation on ABC’s “This Week,” he criticized Kennedy, suggesting that current leaders aim to reverse vaccination policies, warning that this could lead to harmful consequences.
“As a physician who has taken the Hippocratic Oath, I think this is just harmful,” Daskarakis stated. “I could be mistaken, but, from what I’ve learned from new Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) members, there seems to be a push towards re-evaluating vaccinations, particularly concerning mRNA vaccines.”
He also took issue with Kennedy’s change to the Covid-19 vaccination schedule for children, conveying that “it was communicated that only kids with pre-existing health issues would qualify for vaccinations.”
“However, that’s not supported by the data,” he contended. “Kids aged 6 months to 2 years often don’t have underlying conditions. In fact, 53% of children hospitalized last season didn’t have any pre-existing issues. The evidence suggests these young children should be vaccinated.”
Daskarakis further criticized Jim O’Neill, the new leadership figure at HHS, who has strong ties to Republican donor Peter Thiel.
“Honestly, I want to put my trust in him, but I just can’t,” he remarked about O’Neill.
He cited a social media post from O’Neill, where he alleged the CDC was “manipulating health data for political purposes.”
“His mistrust in experts… the skepticism from the new acting director of the CDC indicates we have a major issue,” he expressed.
“To run a health agency, he needs support from individuals who truly understand health and science,” he added. “This doesn’t seem to be the right direction. It feels like there’s a breakdown in trust towards his own team.”
On the topic of his exit from the CDC, Daskarakis admitted to months of concern about the agency’s trajectory and his lingering influence.
“Absolutely, I’ve been worried,” he acknowledged. “I was ready to make this decision when I felt I had reached a tipping point. When it became apparent that science wasn’t being presented in a manner free of ideological influences, I recognized I had crossed a line. A lack of scientific leadership leaves me unable to negotiate effectively with HHS.”
Daskarakis’ remarks followed the firing of Monares by Trump, alongside Kennedy’s modifications to the CDC. Following these changes, several officials, including Daskarakis, announced their resignations.
