Jim O’Neill Takes the Helm at CDC Amid Agency Turmoil

ATLANTA, Aug. 29, 2025 - Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services Jim O’Neill was officially named acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today as the agency reels from leadership upheaval. O’Neill steps into the role following the abrupt ouster of Director Dr. Susan Monarez and the resignations of several top CDC officials earlier this week.

Employees staged a walkout at CDC headquarters in Atlanta on Thursday in protest of Monarez’s dismissal and the broader shift in vaccine policy under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.. Hundreds of staff and demonstrators gathered outside the facility, chanting “Let science lead” and calling for an end to what they described as political interference in public health decisions.

O’Neill, a former biotech investor and long-time Kennedy adviser, will concurrently retain his position as HHS deputy secretary. His appointment was first reported by The Washington Post and confirmed by White House sources late Thursday. In a brief statement posted on social media, O’Neill expressed confidence that the CDC would “restore public trust through transparency and a science-first approach.”

The move comes amid growing concerns on Capitol Hill. Two Republican senators have announced plans to seek congressional oversight of the CDC, while some Democrats have called for Secretary Kennedy’s removal, citing what they view as anti-vaccine rhetoric at the highest levels of HHS.

A flashpoint looms in early September, when a reconfigured CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices-now including several vaccine skeptics appointed by Kennedy-is scheduled to review standard childhood immunization guidelines. Public health experts warn that any shift away from established vaccine schedules could have far-reaching consequences for disease prevention programs nationwide.

O’Neill’s background includes a stint at HHS during the George W. Bush administration, where he led FDA reforms, and work with the Thiel Foundation and Fellowship in Silicon Valley. He has pledged to discontinue all private sector affiliations upon assuming CDC leadership, emphasizing his commitment to the agency’s mission of safeguarding public health.

The CDC’s permanent directorship must be confirmed by the Senate. In the interim, O’Neill faces the immediate challenge of stabilizing an agency shaken by staff departures and restoring its reputation as the nation’s premier public health institution.