CDC warns of huge COVID spike amid internal turmoil
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Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the White House on Aug. 26. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
The CDC said this week it is seeing a nationwide increase in COVID cases and emergency room visits as Labor Day nears.
Why it matters: The warning arrives as the federal health agency struggles with its own internal chaos and the ramifications of a new COVID vaccine policy.
- Dozens of staff members and leaders at the CDC rallied Thursday in support of departing colleagues.
- The walkouts and resignations came amid angst against Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who caused more unrest this week when he criticized CDC staff members and changed COVID vaccine recommendations.
- The COVID case increase comes amid the surging Stratus variant and ahead of Labor Day weekend, when mass travel is expected.
What they're saying: "COVID-19 activity is increasing in most areas of the country," a CDC spokesperson told Axios in an email Wednesday. "Emergency department visits for COVID-19 are low but increasing" for all age groups.
- The "recent rise" of COVID could be linked to surging variants, waning immunity from vaccination and seasonal behaviors like mass gatherings and travel, the spokesperson said.
By the numbers: COVID test positivity is hovering at 9.9% — a 1.4% increase from the prior week, according to CDC data posted Aug. 25.
- Nearly half the country has COVID test positivity of at least 10%, per a CDC map of the data, which accounts for cases through Aug. 16.
- Five states — Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arkansas and Louisiana — have a positivity rate of 15% to 19.9%.
Reality check: Though case positivity is ticking up, deaths and hospitalizations remain stagnant, according to CDC data.
- "It is too early to know whether activity is more than expected compared to the summer increase we experienced in 2024," the CDC spokesperson said.
Zoom out: The CDC's warning comes as Kennedy announced new recommendations for the COVID vaccine, even though experts generally see it as safe and effective, especially for those at risk of serious illness.
- The new COVID vaccine recommendations rescinded the emergency use authorization, but still approved shots for the elderly and those most vulnerable to severe illness.
- "The decision to vaccinate is a personal one," a CDC spokesperson told Axios. "People should consult with their health care provider to understand their options to get a vaccine and should be informed about the potential risks and benefits associated with vaccines."
Kennedy's decision was followed by a wave of resignations and exits at the CDC.
- Susan Monarez was ousted Wednesday as CDC director just weeks after she was sworn in. Her lawyers disputed a claim she had left her post, and the White House later confirmed she was terminated.
- Demetre Daskalakis, who was director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, resigned after saying that the new vaccine policy changes threatened lives.
- Two other exits included CDC chief medical officer Debra Houry and Daniel Jernigan, director of the CDC's National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases.
The other side: Kennedy told Fox News that the CDC is "in trouble."
- "We are fixing it," he told the "Fox & Friends" program. "And it may be that some people should not be working there anymore."
Top exiting officials were escorted out of the CDC offices Thursday morning around 10am, according to multiple outlets.
- Hours later, dozens of staff members and leaders near the CDC's Atlanta headquarters held signs and clapped in a protest for their departing colleagues.
- On Thursday afternoon, Jim O'Neill, the deputy secretary of Health and Human Services, was tapped to lead the CDC as acting director, potentially giving Kennedy room to set his agenda at the national public health agency.
What's next: The CDC still has to weigh in on the suitability of COVID shots. Kennedy's advisers meet in September, and whoever is in charge — currently acting director Jim O'Neill — will issue recommendations from there.
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