Susan Monarez’s tenure as CDC director ended abruptly after less than a month due to reported disagreements with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over vaccine policies, coinciding with FDA’s more restrictive approval of Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines. The leadership upheaval extends to multiple top CDC officials resigning amidst political interference concerns. Public health experts warn that this turmoil jeopardizes disease surveillance, pandemic preparedness, and national biosecurity, highlighting the critical need for stable, evidence-based leadership in the nation’s premier public health agency.