WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump has selected former Deputy Surgeon General Erica Schwartz to serve as the new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, following a series of leadership changes at the federal health agency.
The nomination, announced Thursday, taps Schwartz who previously worked in Trump’s administration and played a key role in the government’s COVID-19 response efforts, managing national emergency preparedness and public health coordination initiatives.
Through a Truth Social post, Trump also revealed his intentions to appoint healthcare executive Sean Slovenski, Texas health commissioner Jen Shuford, and senior FDA official Sara Brenner to key positions within the CDC.
The agency has experienced significant turnover since Trump dismissed Director Susan Monarez in August following her resistance to vaccine policy modifications proposed by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Since Monarez’s departure, the CDC has operated under interim leadership, first with Health and Human Services Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill, followed by Jay Bhattacharya, who currently directs the National Institutes of Health, taking over the role in February.
