Nominee for CDC Head Questioned by Senate Health Committee

President Trump’s nominee to be director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) underwent questioning at a hearing of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee. on July 15, 2026. Erica Schwartz, MD, JD, MPH was repeatedly asked questions regarding her views on vaccines, how they contrast with those of Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and how she might exercise her independence from Kennedy on vaccine policy.^{1 2 3 4 5 6 7}

Dr. Schwartz, who was nominated on Apr. 17, was grilled by Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana on how she planned to exert control over the CDC with respect to setting vaccination policies. “You can be CDC director and just take orders. We need a CDC ​director that will actually stand up to crazy, stupid things being said that undermine faith in immunization,” said Sen. Cassidy, who chairs the HELP panel. He asked Schwartz if she would “have the ability and the firmness to stand up” to “political meddling.” Presumably from Kennedy.^{1 2}

Schwartz replied:

I will never compromise on the science. I will always, always have the public’s health in mind.^{1 2}

I will never betray the science ever. I will go where the science leads us. I will not have predetermined answers to conclusions.⁴

“If confirmed, my first priority will be restoring trust in public health institutions through radical transparency and unwavering scientific integrity,” Schwartz added.²

When asked by Sen. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire if she was prepared to prepared to contradict recommendations made by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) on vaccines if she disagreed with them, Schwartz said she would work with career scientists at the CDC to review panel recommendations before making any decision, but that, ultimately, the Secretary of Health and Human Services holds final decision-making authority.²

One specific vaccination policies such as mandating vaccines for U.S. military personnel, Schwartz said she would be supportive of mandates in “certain circumstances.”²

Vitamin K Shot

Schwartz was asked by Sen. Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland if she was in favor of administering vitamin K shots to infants within six hours of birth to assist with blood clotting. She responded:

Vitamin K can absolutely reduce hemorrhaging in newborns. It’s absolutely safe and it’s effective and I urge all parents to get the vitamin K shot.²

Sen. Alsobrooks, along with Representative Kim Schrier of Washington are leading an effort in Congress to have the CDC start tracking cases in which parents opt out of giving vitamin K shots to their newborns. On June 29, 2026, Alsobrooks and Schrier wrote a letter to acting CDC director Jay Bhattacharya urging the CDC to “take immediate action to address a growing and preventable public health crisis: the rising rate of vitamin K refusal at birth and resulting vitamin K deficiency bleeding (VKDB) among newborns.”^{2 8 9}

Specifically, the legislators call on the CDC to…

establish ways to monitor and understand the burden of vitamin K refusal rates, VKDB and VKDB-related deaths, and to make that information publicly available.^{2 8 9}

Vaccines and Autism

Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont expressed concern in the hearing about information on the CDC website suggesting a link between childhood autism. He asked Schwartz if she would she commit removing that information if confirmed. Schwartz said she would “look at that exact website [and] speak with the secretary to understand why the secretary has put that stuff up there.”³

“We do not know what causes autism, Schwartz said. “One in 33 children have a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, and we owe it to the American people to figure out why.”³

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