The White House has nominated former Navy physician Erica Schwartz to lead the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She would replace NIH director Jay Bhattacharya, who has been leading the CDC on an acting basis since February.
Schwartz is not new to government medicine—she served as deputy surgeon general, a civil servant post that is not politically appointed, in the first Trump administration. Before that, she was a rear admiral in the U.S. Coast Guard, where she served as chief medical officer. In his announcement, Trump wrote, “It is my Honor to nominate the incredibly talented Dr. Erica Schwartz,” and called her “a STAR!” He also named the appointment of two new senior officials to the CDC and another to the Department of Health and Human Services.
But even before she sits for any Senate questions, the vaccine question feels like the obvious doorway her nomination has to pass through. Misryoum newsroom reported the Senate hearings are likely to zoom in on the CDC’s vaccine decision-making, especially after Susan Monarez, the former CDC chief, was fired last August—than a month into her term. Misryoum editorial desk noted that Monarez has alleged she was fired for pushing back against Kennedy’s plan to overhaul the country’s vaccine policies. Since then, various HHS officials have led the agency on an acting basis, with Bhattacharya most recently stepping in.
If Schwartz is confirmed, she would take the reins of an agency that has gone through a rough year. The CDC saw multiple leadership resignations, lost expert personnel, and last August a gunman fired nearly 500 bullets at its headquarters, killing a police officer. As late as this past March, the bullet holes remained in CDC windows. Standing outside a building like that—well, you can almost imagine the quiet after something that loud, the kind where you notice small sounds more than usual. For weeks afterward, even the air around government buildings can feel sharper than normal—metallic, maybe, or just tense. Actually, that’s more of a feeling than data, but it’s hard not to think about the lingering atmosphere when describing what’s been shaken.
Still, it’s not entirely clear how Schwartz would steer the CDC’s broader public health approach. At the Coast Guard, she led numerous health initiatives, including anthrax and smallpox vaccination campaigns, and helped craft HIV and biological weapons response policies. She also was on the service’s Ebola outbreak team leadership and served as its principal expert on pandemic influenza. Beyond her medical degree, Misryoum analysis indicates she has a master’s degree in public health and a law degree from the University of Maryland.
Supporters argue that her background could translate into an emphasis on evidence. Georges C. Benjamin, chief executive officer of the American Public Health Association, said in a statement that Schwartz “possesses the medical background and public health knowledge to understand that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must be guided by evidence-based science.” He added, “We look forward to working with Dr. Schwartz to ensure we use the best science and evidence to improve the nation’s health.”
In recent months, the Trump administration has moved to tone down RFK, Jr.’s opposition to vaccines, which has turned off voters, and put him on a “low-risk messaging diet ahead of midterm elections,” according to Bloomberg. Schwartz has been a vaccine proponent in the past, and naming her as nominee may be part of a careful recalibration. There’s also the stalled nomination of wellness influencer Casey Means for U.S. surgeon general, which has lingered after
Means sidestepped support for vaccines in her Senate confirmation hearing. The White House has reportedly equivocated its support of Means in recent weeks. At a House hearing of the House Committee on Appropriations on Thursday, RFK, Jr., expressed support for Means, calling her “not a political person,” and asked the Senate to vote for her confirmation. He also expressed support for the White House’s nominee for CDC director to get the agency “back on track.”
Misryoum editorial team noted the story is in development and may be updated—so a lot of this could sharpen or shift as hearings begin, and as Senate members press on what “evidence-based science” means in practice for vaccine policy and public trust.
Editor’s Note (4/16/26): This story is in development and may be updated.
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