ATLANTA — Erica Schwartz, MD, MPH, starts as the CDC director this week. She is the first Senate-confirmed CDC director in nearly a year.

Schwartz will replace Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), who took over as acting CDC director in February, and become the first permanent director in about a year. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. serves as the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired the previous CDC director within a month of appointment. The previous CDC director was fired for resisting political interference in vaccine policy.

The CDC has lost a significant portion of its workforce over the last 18 months. Nearly 300 CDC employees were notified their jobs were being eliminated in spring 2025. Nearly 300 CDC employees remain on paid administrative leave. The CDC is currently staffing four emergency responses simultaneously.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo has reported over 4,000 confirmed Ebola cases. Ebola cases and deaths in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are increasing daily. The current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the second-largest ever recorded globally.

The 2014-2016 West Africa Ebola outbreak killed more than 11,000 people. The Democratic Republic of the Congo has experienced 10 Ebola outbreaks since 1976, with the current 2025-2026 epidemic being the second-largest globally after the 2014-2016 West Africa outbreak.

The Trump administration issued an order requiring a 21-day exclusion from the U.S. for foreign nationals and U.S. citizens who have been in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, regardless of symptoms. The U.S. will not repatriate aid workers who contract Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for treatment. The U.S. has invested tens of millions of dollars to build and maintain 13 biocontainment units and 55 designated treatment facilities.

Current U.S. measles cases are the highest since 1991. U.S. measles cases this year have surpassed the total from last year in just over seven months. The U.S. has maintained measles elimination status since 2000. Independent experts emphasize the likely loss of U.S. measles elimination status in the fall.

The CDC is tracking one of its largest Cyclospora outbreaks, tied to contaminated lettuce. Thousands of Cyclospora cases have been reported across 47 states. New World screwworm, a flesh-eating parasite, is moving north toward the U.S.

A gunman fired 500 rounds at the CDC campus one year ago. DeKalb County Police Officer David Rose was killed in the shooting at the CDC campus. Authorities stated the shooter was radicalized by anti-vaccine conspiracy theories and misinformation.

Schwartz assumes leadership of the CDC during a period of significant staff reduction and multiple concurrent public health emergencies. The agency has lost a significant portion of its workforce over the last 18 months while simultaneously managing responses to Ebola, measles, Cyclospora, and New World screwworm threats. The narrow Senate confirmation vote reflects political divisions surrounding the agency's direction and recent leadership changes.

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo represents a major international health challenge, with case counts rising daily and travel restrictions implemented by the U.S. government. Domestically, measles cases have reached their highest level since 1991, threatening the elimination status the U.S. has held since 2000. These overlapping crises test the capacity of a reduced CDC workforce under new permanent leadership.

Schwartz held the rank of rear admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. Schwartz previously served as Deputy Surgeon General from January 2019 to April 2021. Democratic Republic is country in Central Africa. Congo is country in Central Africa.

Regarding erica schwartz senate confirmed director, the primary source states that Schwartz is the first Senate-confirmed CDC director in nearly a year. Senate confirms Schwartz as CDC director | CIDR that the Senate confirmed Schwartz with a 51-44 vote, the narrowest margin for a CDC director in modern history, with only one Democratic senator (Tim Kaine) voting in her favor.

Why It Matters

The appointment of the first Senate-confirmed CDC director in nearly a year occurs as the agency manages four simultaneous emergency responses with a significantly reduced workforce. This leadership change takes place while U.S. measles cases reach their highest level since 1991, threatening elimination status maintained since 2000, and as the second-largest global Ebola outbreak expands daily. These overlapping domestic and international health crises test the capacity of the reduced staff under new permanent direction.