The White House on Thursday selected Jim O’Neill, the deputy secretary of health and human services, to take over leadership of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to multiple reports. It’s the latest move in a tense shakeup of the agency’s top ranks.
The news, first reported by The Washington Post, comes less than 24 hours after a clash over vaccine policy led to the ouster of CDC Director Susan Monarez — and the resignations of at least three other top officials.
The White House stepped in to fire Monarez on Wednesday after she refused Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s call to resign. She is contesting her firing.