Why one federal health worker is urging Health Secretary RFK Jr. to resign : NPR

JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:

Immediately, over 1,000 present and former federal well being staff signed a letter urging Well being Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to resign. The letter, which was addressed to the well being secretary and to Congress, accuses Kennedy of endangering the nation’s well being. This comes days after the Meals and Drug Administration imposed new restrictions on who’s eligible for the up to date COVID-19 vaccines and after the Trump administration fired the newly confirmed director of the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention, Susan Monarez.

One of many organizers and signatories of this letter is Dr. Elizabeth Soda. Till yesterday, she was a doctor with the CDC’s Nationwide Middle for Rising and Zoonotic Infectious Illnesses. She joins us now from Atlanta. Welcome to this system.

ELIZABETH SODA: Thanks a lot for having me.

SUMMERS: Dr. Soda, I do know that you’ve got been voicing your issues about modifications on the CDC for a while – for weeks now. However yesterday, you lastly took the step of resigning. Inform us what led you to make that alternative.

SODA: You realize, it wasn’t a straightforward one, however I joined the CDC to advertise well being, not solely only for a person however for a big inhabitants. And now I really feel like I’ve to depart CDC in order that I can do the identical and extra freely advocate for these actually essential public well being matters.

SUMMERS: Within the letter you and over 1,000 different federal well being staff penned, you say, quote, “our oath requires us to talk out when the Structure is violated and the American individuals are put in danger,” finish quote. Dr. Soda, how, in your view, is Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the well being secretary’s, management placing Individuals in danger? Give us an instance.

SODA: Yeah, I strongly consider within the oath I took. And Secretary Kennedy is unquestionably placing us all in danger. I feel his stance on vaccines is one very clear instance of how he’s politicizing the essential public well being motion of vaccines, and it should have very severe penalties for all Individuals at this level.

SUMMERS: We reached out to HHS, and spokesperson Andrew Nixon advised NPR in an announcement that Secretary Kennedy has been clear in regards to the CDC being, quote, “damaged for a very long time” and went on to say that restoring belief in it’ll take, quote, “sustained reform and extra personnel modifications.” He additionally went on to say that the well being secretary is dedicated to evidence-based science. What do you say to that?

SODA: I might argue the secretary is unquestionably not dedicated to evidence-based science, you recognize, primarily based upon most of the actions he is already taken. Trying, for instance, of what he – what occurred to ACIP and the individuals and appointees that he is placing at CDC, who’ve clearly been not utilizing evidence-based science to again a lot of their conclusions.

SUMMERS: Whenever you say ACIP, I assume you are referring there to the Advisory Committee on Immunization…

SODA: That is appropriate.

SUMMERS: …Practices.

SODA: That’s appropriate.

SUMMERS: I’m wondering, do you are concerned in any respect that the sequence of current departures from CDC are literally fulfilling the imaginative and prescient that the Trump administration and the well being secretary have for the way forward for the company?

SODA: You realize, that may be a actually good query, and I feel we positively have to consider these issues as we talk about these matters. However, you recognize, I may even say that CDC nonetheless clearly has numerous actually devoted and fantastic public servants who’re devoted to proceed its mission. They need to have the ability to do their work and help the American public. So I – you recognize, I do consider that due to these wonderful people, CDC will proceed to attempt to work and defend American lives as finest they will.

SUMMERS: I do know that you’ve got resigned, however I do should ask you. We have seen plenty of cases over the previous couple of months of people that converse out in opposition to President Trump or his administration’s insurance policies dealing with a wide range of destructive penalties. Do you could have any issues about talking out, going public your self?

SODA: Yeah, in fact. I feel there’s at all times danger, not solely from retaliation from the administration but in addition how, you recognize, most of the people goes to view us and doubtlessly the chance that comes with that. However, you recognize, I really feel very strongly. I swore an oath. Even when I’ve resigned, I’ll maintain by that oath for the remainder of my life. And that’s to talk out after I consider the Structure and the American individuals are in jeopardy. And so I am keen to take that danger as a way to assist promote the wonderful work that we’re making an attempt to do to advertise well being amongst all Individuals.

SUMMERS: We have got a few minute left. States are starting to take public well being issues into their very own palms. Florida simply introduced it intends to finish vaccine mandates. Immediately, the states of California, Washington and Oregon launched the West Coast Well being Alliance to coordinate their very own well being steerage and vaccine suggestions reasonably than to depend on the CDC. In your view, ought to the nation be making contingency plans to function with out the CDC, as we see these states doing?

SODA: I feel, sadly, we’re there, proper? We’re seeing states roll again these mandates. They are going to have penalties. The college mandates have helped. And I feel that if CDC isn’t going to have the ability to present that dependable voice, we’re going to should depend on our state and native well being departments to step in and fill these gaps.

SUMMERS: Final thing I would prefer to ask – if Robert F. Kennedy Jr. doesn’t resign as well being secretary, as you and your colleagues – your former colleagues – ask, what would you hope comes subsequent for the CDC?

SODA: I do hope Congress takes motion. You realize, that is our large plea. Please, Congress, you recognize, take motion and put somebody in that function who’s going to have the ability to observe evidence-based scientific knowledge to make good…

SUMMERS: OK.

SODA: …Selections for the American public.

SUMMERS: We’ll have to depart it there. Dr. Elizabeth Soda was till yesterday a doctor on the CDC, considered one of greater than 1,000 federal well being staff calling for Well being Secretary Robert F. Kennedy to resign. Thanks.

SODA: Thanks a lot.

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