HomeTechnologyTrump picks qualified, normal health leader to head CDC; experts still cautious

Trump picks qualified, normal health leader to head CDC; experts still cautious

TechnologyApril 17, 2026
1 min read
Trump picks qualified, normal health leader to head CDC; experts still cautious
She's well qualified but will need to navigate RFK Jr.'s anti-vaccine agenda.
Reading Settings

President Trump on Thursday announced his third nominee for director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Dr. Erica Schwartz, a well-qualified former public health official and board-certified physician in preventive medicine, who has publicly supported vaccination and followed evidence-based medicine.

The uncontroversial pick comes amid concern within the administration that the aggressive anti-vaccine agenda from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.—who has no medical, science, or public health background—has become a liability for the party in the lead up to the midterms.

Schwartz was deputy surgeon general in Trump's first administration. She spent much of her career as a Navy officer, held the role of Chief Medical Officer with the US Coast Guard, and is a retired rear admiral of the US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. She has a medical degree from Brown University, a master's degree in public health, and a law degree from the University of Maryland. During the pandemic, she was involved in the federal rollout of COVID-19 vaccines.

Read full article

Comments

Source: Ars Technica

Share this article

Related Articles

The Download: US robot restrictions, and ICE’s DNA grab
Aug 047 hours ago

The Download: US robot restrictions, and ICE’s DNA grab

This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. Trump’s AI protectionism has come for robotics   —

technologyreview.com6 min read
Read More
‘Everyone Is Doing It’: The Truth About AI in Hollywood
Aug 047 hours ago

‘Everyone Is Doing It’: The Truth About AI in Hollywood

Puck’s Matthew Belloni says AI has quietly become part of everyday filmmaking. The battle now isn’t whether Hollywood will use the technology—it’s who controls what’ll come next.

6a6caf552bba9f4c44a513ef36 min read
Read More