The CDC has a new director – now comes the hard part

Amid multiple disease outbreaks and intense political pressures, Director Erica Schwartz will need to defend scientific independence.

By: Syra S. Madad, Harvard Kennedy School and Nahid Bhadelia, Boston University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: August 19, 2026

Words: 1,483

Last Updated: 2 months ago

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By Syra S. Madad, Harvard Kennedy School and Nahid Bhadelia, Boston University

The new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Erica Schwartz, confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Aug. 5, 2026, is only the second CDC director to face Senate confirmation. Congress adopted the process for the agency after the COVID-19 pandemic to bring more scrutiny to one of the country’s most consequential public health jobs, as part of the Consolidated …

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