Updated · The Atlanta Journal Constitution · Sep 17
CDC Chief Erica Schwartz Pledges to Rebuild Trust as U.S. Measles Cases Top 3,200
Updated
Updated · The Atlanta Journal Constitution · Sep 17
CDC Chief Erica Schwartz Pledges to Rebuild Trust as U.S. Measles Cases Top 3,200
3 articles · Updated · The Atlanta Journal Constitution · Sep 17
Summary
Erica Schwartz used her first interview as CDC director to make trust restoration her top 100-day goal, saying confidence in the agency is at an all-time low.
More than 3,200 U.S. measles cases and kindergarten MMR coverage below the 95% herd-immunity threshold drove her warning that measles can spread to 12 to 18 susceptible people and that the vaccine is safe.
Schwartz also signaled friction with HHS Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr., saying she has challenged him privately even as he retains final authority and has downplayed measles while questioning vaccine safety.
At the CDC, she defended withholding certified measles death counts until a formal definition is set and death certificates are reviewed, while also justifying Cyclospora tracking changes after nearly 20,000 illnesses and over 1,000 hospitalizations.
The interview cast those disputes against wider strain on the agency, including workforce cuts, unstaffed programs, trauma after the 2025 shooting near CDC headquarters, and an Ebola response in Congo.