Amna Nawaz
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WATCH: Senator says idea that people need every vaccine is contrary to Kennedy and Trump's mission
Posted
September 17, 2025
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September 17, 2025
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2:43Now PlayingSusan Monarez, former director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, responded Wednesday to questions about the effectiveness of vaccines and her leadership from Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.
Monarez says she was fired after she refused to preapprove vaccine recommendations from a CDC panel without seeing scientific evidence. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has denied these claims and told senators earlier this month that she was lying. Monarez’s firing led to the resignations of several other top health officials, including chief medical officer Dr. Debra Houry, who also testified in Wednesday’s hearing. Monarez’s firing led to the resignations of several other top health officials, including chief medical officer Dr. Debra Houry, who also testified in Wednesday’s hearing.
During his line of questioning, Marshall posed the analogy that if a university president and an athletic director think a coach should be replaced, that decision stands, likening the firing of Monarez to the lack of approval she has received from Kennedy and President Donald Trump. He added, "It just makes no sense to me that every person needs every vaccine."
But Marshall also said: "Vaccines have done great work. They are a miracle. They've done a great job."
"I will stand behind scientific integrity with every decision I ever make. If I am put in a position of having to say, 'I will cede the scientific integrity to retain my job,' then I am not the right person for the position. I believe that we must have science and evidence to support the best decisions for our children and others who would benefit from vaccines," Monarez said.
The hearing comes a day before a meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the panel that issues vaccine recommendations. Kennedy, known for his anti-vaccine advocacy, has come under fire for removing all members of the board and replacing them with people who align with his views. The panel is expected to vote on authorizations for COVID-19 vaccines, among others.
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