CDC Principal Deputy Director Resigns After Less Than Two Months

Ralph Abraham, MD, abruptly resigned his role as principal deputy director at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today, after less than two months on the job, becoming the second senior official to exit the agency this month. Abraham, whose resignation took effect immediately, was the second in command at the CDC. That leaves the agency with vacancies in its top two positions.

Acting CDC director Jim O'Neil stepped down just over a week ago. O'Neil also left his job as deputy health secretary at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Abraham was sharply criticized by public health advocates last month when he said that losing the United States' measles elimination status is the "cost of doing business." The CDC has confirmed nearly 1,000 measles cases this year, along with 2,281 last year. Canada lost its measles elimination status last year due to sustained transmission of the virus for more than 12 months.

Abraham, a long-time critic of COVID-19 vaccines, also faced sharp criticism in his previous role as surgeon general of Louisiana. As the state surgeon general, he told the health department to stop promoting mass vaccination campaigns and did not publicly respond to a pertussis (whooping cough) outbreak in Louisiana in 2025 for two months, even after two infants died.

Abraham also advocated for the use of ivermectin during the COVID-19 pandemic, and has stated the United States should stop vaccinating newborns against hepatitis B. In December, the CDC stopped recommending a universal birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine, which is credited with reducing chronic hepatitis B infections by 99% since 1991.

Jay Bhattacharya, MD, director of the National Institutes of Health, was named interim CDC director after O'Neill's departure. The CDC has been without a permanent director for most of the past year.

Although Susan Monarez, PhD, was sworn in as CDC director in July, she was fired after one month on the job after refusing to rubber-stamp vaccine policy directives from HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. That move spurred the resignation of several top CDC officials in protest.

In a statement on its website, the CDC said Abraham chose to step down to address unforeseen family obligations. "It has been an honor to serve alongside the dedicated public health professionals at the CDC and to support the agency's critical mission," Abraham said in the statement.

Over the past several days, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced several job shakeups, vacancies, and empty appointments that paint a picture of a department shifting and recalibrating after almost a year of leadership under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

O'Neill and General Counsel Mike Stuart, JD, who will also leave his current position, are said to be moving to other roles in the administration. Top administration officials have elevated a new team of health policy experts who they hope will carry a more politically popular health agenda through the midterm elections. The new direction for HHS comes as an attempt to smooth over dysfunction at the agencies, but also as a way of steering the department toward policies considered "wins" among the public, such as those related to healthy food and drug pricing.

O'Neill was not confirmed by the Senate, and he heavily promoted Kennedy's "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA) movement at the CDC. Under O'Neill, the CDC announced controversial changes to the recommended childhood vaccine schedule last month.

Kennedy also announced late last week that Chris Klomp, deputy administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, will now be in charge of overseeing all HHS operations. Klomp was a key player in a plan to lower prescription drug prices.

"We are restoring accountability, challenging entrenched interests, and putting the health of the American people first. I am proud to elevate battle-tested, principled leaders onto my immediate team—individuals with the courage and experience to help us move faster and go further as we work to Make America Healthy Again," said Kennedy in a statement announcing the changes.

The moves also suggest a need for more stability after a year of bad publicity for the CDC, including leadership infighting and high-profile stories, including a gunman's attack on the CDC, protest resignations among leadership, and a large West Texas measles outbreak that kicked off the worst year for measles activity in the United States in 30 years.

16 of the 27 institutions that make up the National Institutes of Health are now without directors. The vacancies come from resignations, retirements, and firings under NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya, MD.

In a statement, HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon said, "NIH is committed to filling all Director positions and advisory panels with the most highly qualified and meritorious individuals, ensuring expert representation to address the chronic disease epidemic and uphold gold-standard science."

NIH has been a non-partisan force in the United States for 139 years, with directors working under multiple presidential administrations. "I'm not confident that their appointments will be with the institute's mission in mind," said Shiv Prasad, PhD, a scientific review officer at NIH. "I think you're just there to be compliant with whatever the HHS secretary wants done."