WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Senate confirmed Erica Schwartz as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in a 51-44 vote on August 5, 2026. The confirmation ends a nearly yearlong vacancy for the CDC director position that was marked by leadership turnover and policy disputes.

Schwartz is the second permanent leader of the CDC since the second Trump administration took office. She becomes the 22nd leader of the agency in its history. Senator Tim Kaine was the lone Democrat to vote for her confirmation.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired Schwartz's predecessor, Susan Monarez, last year. Monarez was fired one month into her job as CDC director in August 2025. Monarez stated that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pressured her to preemptively sign off on vaccine policy changes. Trump administration officials stated Monarez was terminated because she was not aligned with the president's agenda.

Schwartz was nominated for CDC director in April 2026. She was the third Trump nominee for CDC director in an 18-month period. Dr. David Weldon was the first Trump nominee for CDC director.

His Senate hearing in March 2025 was canceled an hour before it was scheduled to begin. David Weldon stated he was told not enough senators were willing to vote for him.

In the absence of a confirmed director, the Department of Health and Human Services unilaterally reduced the number of recommended pediatric vaccines. The department also delayed the hepatitis B birth dose recommendation. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. modified a CDC webpage to reverse the agency's stance that vaccines do not cause autism. Senator Bill Cassidy stated that the Department of Health and Human Services agreed to modify the CDC webpage regarding vaccines and autism again.

Cassidy voted to confirm Schwartz out of committee. He stated he was "confident that she knows what she is doing" after speaking with her. Cassidy warned that any further reversal on agreements received from HHS to rein in vaccine policy changes could hamper future health nominees.

Cassidy is departing Capitol Hill in January 2027. He lost his reelection bid following public criticism from Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Schwartz is 54 years old and holds medical and law degrees. She is a retired rear admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. Schwartz served as deputy surgeon general during the first Trump administration.

During that time, she was responsible for establishing Covid-19 public testing drive-throughs and tents. PureSource News reported on 2026-07-15 that Schwartz appeared before a US Senate Committee for CDC Director Confirmation.

Her career includes extensive service with the U.S. Coast Guard. From 2005 to 2013, she served as Preventive Medicine Chief. She served as Chief of Health Services for the U.S. Coast Guard from 2013 to 2015.

From 2015 to 2019, she served as Chief Medical Officer and Director of Health, Safety, and Work Life for the U.S. Coast Guard. Since May 2021, Schwartz has served on the board of directors of Aveanna Healthcare Holdings Inc.

The agency faces significant operational challenges under her new leadership. The CDC has lost more than 3,000 employees, representing more than one-quarter of its workforce, due to layoffs and resignations. There have been a series of HHS officials serving as acting CDC director since Susan Monarez was fired. The CDC front office has been staffed by political appointees with little or no training in medicine or public health.

The confirmation of Erica Schwartz stabilizes the leadership of the CDC after a period of significant turnover and policy shifts. The agency operates with a reduced workforce, having lost more than 3,000 employees through layoffs and resignations. This reduction represents more than one-quarter of its total staff. The vacancy lasted nearly a year, during which a series of HHS officials served as acting director.

The transition occurs while the CDC manages multiple active disease outbreaks. These include measles and foodborne parasites in the U.S. as well as Ebola in parts of Africa. The appointment also follows unilateral changes to vaccine recommendations by the Department of Health and Human Services.

These changes were made in the absence of a permanent CDC director. Leadership vacancies remain at other key federal health agencies, including the Office of the Surgeon General and the Food and Drug Administration.

Why It Matters

Schwartz's confirmation ends a nearly yearlong vacancy during which HHS officials reduced pediatric vaccine recommendations and altered agency guidance on autism. Her appointment stabilizes leadership at an agency that has lost over 3,000 employees while managing active measles, foodborne parasite, and Ebola outbreaks. This transition replaces a front office previously staffed by political appointees lacking medical training with a confirmed director holding both medical and law degrees.