Dr. Erica Schwartz Appointed as Cdc's New Director After Yearlong Gap

WHO:

CNN - Dr. Erica Schwartz, confirmed as director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

ABC News - Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), served as acting CDC director.

CNN - Robert F. Kennedy Jr., US Health and Human Services Secretary.

ABC News - Bill Cassidy, medical doctor and chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

WHAT:

CNN - The US Senate voted 51-44 to confirm Dr. Erica Schwartz as CDC director.

ABC News - Schwartz was nominated by Trump in April.

CNN - Schwartz is the first official director of the CDC in a year.

CNN - The CDC has been without an official director since Dr. Susan Monarez was removed less than a month into her job.

WHERE:

CNN - The CDC is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.

WHEN:

CNN - Schwartz was nominated in April.

ABC News - Schwartz will replace Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, who took over as acting CDC director in February.

WHY:

CNN - Schwartz's confirmation is seen as a departure from prior contenders who aligned with the “Make America Healthy Again” agenda.

CNN - Concerns were raised about Schwartz’s independence and autonomy to lead the CDC after Monarez’s ouster.

HOW:

CNN - The Senate vote generally fell along party lines.

CNN - HHS recently edited a claim on the CDC website regarding vaccines and autism to facilitate Schwartz's confirmation.

(UPDATED August 5, 2026 20:36 UTC)

The US Senate has confirmed Dr. Erica Schwartz as the new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with a vote of 51 to 44. Schwartz, nominated by Trump in April, is the first official director of the CDC in a year, taking over from Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, who served as acting director since February. This confirmation marks a shift from previous candidates who were aligned with the “Make America Healthy Again” agenda, amid concerns about Schwartz’s independence following the ouster of Dr. Susan Monarez.