CDC Director Erica Schwartz pledges advocacy and transparency amid staffing challenges

The new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention addressed agency staff in her first all-hands meeting, saying she will work to advocate for the CDC and tackle morale issues linked to extensive layoffs and resignations. Schwartz, who assumed the role last week, noted that many congressionally funded programs are effectively inactive because the staff who previously ran them were let go or placed on leave.

"The good news is, I’m here. I’m Week 1 of being here, and now I can certainly be able to advocate for the CDC," she told employees.

She added that she would discuss concerns with staff members to understand how to improve conditions, but did not outline specific actions for the so-called “zombie” programs. Schwartz, a former Coast Guard and Public Health Service officer, said she would voice disagreements with other leaders privately and not in public forums.

"When I disagree, I do it in private, because that’s just part of the uniformed service person in me," she said.

The director also promised to rebuild public confidence through what she described as “radical transparency, scientific rigor and honest communications,” echoing language used by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Schwartz acknowledged that the agency has lost more than 3,000 employees, over a quarter of its workforce, leading to low morale after a series of interim leaders. She announced the formation of a task force on childhood vaccine safety, noting that it has not yet convened and has a 90-day deadline to report to the president.

The National Public Health Coalition, representing current and former CDC workers, issued a statement urging the new director to earn trust through concrete actions.

"CDC staff and the American people deserve a strong, independent leader who will follow the science, defend public health expertise and put the health and safety of the public ahead of political pressure," the coalition said.