Susan Monarez, the ousted head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told Congress on Thursday she was fired for refusing to back vaccine advisory board recommendations before reviewing the science behind them.
Monarez said the request came directly from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
"I responded that I could not preapprove recommendations without reviewing the evidence," Monarez told the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.
Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy asked Monarez whether Kennedy cited any scientific information to persuade her to change CDC recommendations.
"He did not have any data or science to point to. As a matter of fact, we got into an exchange where I had suggested I would be open to changing childhood vaccine schedules if the evidence or science were supportive," Monarez said. "He responded that there was no science or evidence associated with the childhood vaccine schedule."
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Monarez, who was nominated by President Donald Trump, was ousted after less than a month on the job.
Kennedy claimed Monarez was fired after she admitted to being "untrustworthy," but denied that he ordered her to pre-approve vaccine recommendations.
Earlier this year, Kennedy dismissed all 17 members of the vaccine advisory committee and installed new members, some of whom expressed skepticism about certain vaccines, including those for COVID-19.
The committee is scheduled to meet on Thursday and Friday to vote on guidance for MMR, hepatitis and COVID-19 vaccines.
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