The CDC once again has a permanent chief—and she's stepping into a minefield. The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Dr. Erica Schwartz as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, ending nearly a year of interim leadership at the agency, NBC News reports. A Navy veteran and former Coast Guard chief medical officer, Schwartz previously served as deputy surgeon general in President Trump's first term. She replaces Jay Bhattacharya, who had been juggling the CDC job with leading the National Institutes of Health, after a string of short-lived acting directors following Susan Monarez's firing in 2025.
The vote was 51-44, the AP reports. The 54-year-old will be the agency's 22nd leader. Schwartz will immediately confront the country's worst measles surge in 35 years, a growing parasitic outbreak tied to shredded iceberg lettuce, and entrenched skepticism about vaccines—sentiments many experts say were fueled by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime anti-vaccine activist. The agency has lost over 3,000 employees, more than a quarter of its workforce, since Trump returned to office last year.
Her confirmation followed a tense hearing last month where she affirmed that vaccines are safe and effective but sidestepped questions about Kennedy's vaccine policies, drawing criticism from some public health veterans and GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy, who initially accused her of ducking tough questions. "We need a CDC director that will actually stand up to crazy, stupid things being said that undermine faith in immunization," Cassidy said. Cassidy ultimately backed her after further talks, saying he is now "confident" she will defend science. During her confirmation hearing, Schwartz pledged to provide "clear, honest and evidence-based" guidance, saying, "I will never betray the science."
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