Trump Nominates Erica Schwartz to Lead the CDC

President Donald Trump nominated retired rear admiral Erica Schwartz to serve as the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on April 16, 2026. A former deputy U.S. surgeon general and vaccine supporter, Schwartz is intended to stabilize an agency that has lacked a confirmed director since August 2025. The vacancy followed the firing of former director Susan Monarez, who reportedly clashed with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over the childhood vaccine schedule.

To fill other critical roles, the administration nominated Jennifer Shuford as deputy director and chief medical officer, Sean Slovenski as chief operating officer, and Sara Brenner as a senior counselor to Kennedy. These appointments are viewed as a strategic shift in messaging ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

While Schwartz awaits Senate confirmation, Secretary Kennedy continues to influence agency policy. He has restructured the vaccine advisory board's charter to focus on safety research gaps, even as the White House reportedly urges him to restrain his public anti-vaccine rhetoric.