CDC Acting Director Bhattacharya addresses staff at all-hands meeting

Helen Branswell covers issues broadly related to infectious diseases, including outbreaks, preparedness, research, and vaccine development. Follow her on Mastodon and Blue Sky. You can contact Helen on Signal at hbranswell.01.

Staff at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention met on Wednesday, with many expecting an announcement by the Trump administration of the selection of a new leader for the beleaguered agency.

But instead, acting director Jay Bhattacharyya said a permanent director is likely to be named by Thursday.

A transcript of the hour-plus all-hands meeting obtained by STAT revealed that staff members asked Bhattacharyya tough questions. Mr. Bhattacharya scored on some issues, such as support for measles vaccination, but stumbled on others. One person who was present told STAT that when he defended Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who was also present, he called him a friend and suggested he was being mischaracterized by the media, when he heard audible complaints.

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