CDC Hearing Highlights Risks to Public Health and Erosion of Public Trust

Today’s Senate hearing,  Restoring Trust Through Radical Transparency: Reviewing Recent Events at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Implications for Children’s Health, with Susan Monarez, PhD, and Debra Houry, MD, MPH as witnesses, is a stark warning that public health leadership is in crisis and the safety of the American public is at risk. While much of the testimony was concerning, Dr. Houry’s statement, “I couldn’t implement guidance off of a tweet,” is especially troubling. The very idea that informed public health guidance intended to protect the safety of Americans could be developed from social media posts from the Department of Health and Human Services is absurd. Today’s testimony underscores an urgent need to reinstate strong, evidence-based public health leadership and to demand accountability from the current leaders whose decisions have placed Americans’ health in jeopardy. Families and healthcare providers have historically depended on trusted, evidence-based recommendations from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices to keep children and communities safe. SHEA’s vision—safe healthcare for all—requires that all vaccine guidance be grounded in rigorous science and clear communication. Undermining that foundation threatens both public trust and the health of future generations. We hope this hearing serves as a call to action to protect and support our nation’s public health infrastructure. Transparency and accountability in this process will be critical to restore trust that has been badly broken.  

Contact: Lindsay MacMurray, lmacmurray@shea-online.org