Post by George Pearkes / Redsky

WaPo reporting Jim O'Neill named interim head of the CDC

White House Taps Top RFK Jr. Deputy as Acting CDC Director The selection of Jim O’Neill reflects Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s influence as he seeks to remake federal vaccine policy. By Dan Diamond (Washington Post) -- The White House on Thursday selected a top deputy of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to serve as acting head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention after a clash over vaccine policy ended in the departure of several agency leaders, according to two people familiar with the decision. The selection of Jim O'Neill, currently the deputy secretary of HHS, as interim leader of the CDC, potentially clears a path for Kennedy to continue his efforts to overhaul federal vaccine policy after the agency's prior leader, Susan Monarez, balked at his requests. As HHS deputy secretary, O'Neill helps oversee the agency's sprawling operations and serves as a key aide to Kennedy. He will continue working as Kennedy's deputy while helming the CDC, according to the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss personnel decisions. The White House on Wednesday fired then-director Monarez after she refused to resign amid pressure by Kennedy and his allies to change vaccine policy. Kennedy accused Monarez of obstructing the president's agenda and said that it was imperative to review current vaccines and revise federal recommendations, according to people who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations. A statement released by Monarez's lawyers on Wednesday night said that Monarez

O'Neill, who served in the George W. Bush administration as a senior health official before becoming a close ally of investor Peter Thiel, was confirmed by the Senate in June to serve as HHS deputy secretary. As acting CDC director, O'Neill is set to play a key role in the agency's ongoing efforts to revise vaccine recommendations, with the CDC scheduled to hold a meeting of its vaccine advisers next month. That process, overseen by Kennedy, is expected to lead to narrower CDC guidance on which Americans should receive coronavirus vaccines. O'Neill was a frequent critic of the CDC during the height of the coronavirus pandemic, arguing on social media that the agency had botched data collection, poorly communicated with the public and had too much influence. Pressed by lawmakers in his confirmation hearings in May about his public health beliefs, O'Neill said that he was a staunch supporter of vaccines.

aug 28, 2025, 8:55 pm • 50 7

Replies

A speechwriter with humanities degrees who has brown-nosed his way into under-studying RFK. This is not an acceptable interim CDC director.

aug 28, 2025, 9:14 pm • 7 0 • view

It’s a consistent theme that they have a limited number of loyalists and so they’re constantly having to appoint these people to multiple roles.

aug 28, 2025, 9:07 pm • 13 1 • view

Have we heard definitively that DJT has fired Monarez? I feel like it’s a little weird he hasn’t made and statement. Unfortunate track record of senior officials and spox freelancing in this admin.

aug 28, 2025, 9:26 pm • 3 0 • view

I don’t think so no.

aug 28, 2025, 9:31 pm • 3 0 • view

“O'Neill, who served in the George W. Bush administration as a senior health official before becoming a close ally of investor Peter Thiel…”

Diedrich Bader as Lawrence in Office Space, saying to Peter NO, MAN SHIT, NO, MAN

aug 28, 2025, 9:06 pm • 18 1 • view

This guy seems nuts honestly bsky.app/profile/jswe...

aug 29, 2025, 1:05 am • 3 0 • view