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Former CDC official says RFK Jr. has done ‘irreparable harm’ to his agency: ‘Really difficult to recover from’

Published July 6, 2026 at 4:45 AM UTC

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Dr. Debra Houry, the former chief medical officer of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has publicly criticized Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., stating that his actions have caused "irreparable harm" to the agency. In an interview with CBS News' "Face the Nation," Houry highlighted a significant decline in public trust towards the CDC, noting that in many polls, trust in public health has decreased by over 20 points. She expressed concern over the challenges in rebuilding this trust, especially as some states have begun removing links to the CDC website in favor of other medical organizations. Houry, along with several other CDC leaders, resigned from the agency in August 2025, citing concerns over Kennedy's vaccine policies. In her resignation letter, she warned that the "overstating of risks" of vaccines and the rise of misinformation have "cost lives," as evidenced by the highest number of U.S. measles cases in 30 years and the violent attack on the agency. Houry emphasized her decision to leave was due to her inability to "protect the scientific integrity of the agency" and her concerns about the impact on the American public. She called for officials to "protect the American public," expressing that the administration's approach, which she described as relying on "30-year-old theories" and disregarding data and science, has "put so many lives at risk."