Insiders report that, as NIH director, Bhattacharya delegates most of his responsibilities for running the $47 billion agency to two top executives. Rather than a hands-on leader, Bhattacharya is known for his numerous public interviews, earning him the nickname “Podcast Jay”.
“malpractice”
Researchers expect Bhattacharya to perform similarly at the helm of the CDC. Jenna Norton, an NIH program officer who spoke to the Guardian in her personal capacity, commented that Bhattacharya “will not actually run the CDC. Just like he doesn’t actually run the NIH.” His role for the administration, he added, is “largely as a campaigner.”
Jeremy Berg, former director of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, echoed this sentiment to the Guardian. “Now, instead of largely ignoring the actual operations of one agency, he can largely ignore the actual operations of two,” he said.
Kayla Hancock, director of Public Health Watch, a nonprofit advocacy group, further said in a public statement, “Jay Bhattacharya has overseen the most chaotic and directionless era in NIH history, and for RFK Jr. to give him even more responsibility at CDC is misconduct against public health.”
Like other commentators, Hancock noted his apparent lack of involvement at NIH and placed it in the context of the current state of American public health. He said, “This is the last person who should be overseeing CDC at a time when preventable diseases like measles are on the rise again under RFK Jr.’s deadly anti-vax agenda.”
It is widely expected that Bhattacharya, like O’Neill, will act as a rubber-stamp for Kennedy’s relentless anti-vaccination agenda. When Kennedy dramatically changed the CDC’s childhood vaccination schedule, reducing the recommended vaccinations from 17 to 11 without scientific evidence, Bhattacharya was among the officials who signed off on the unprecedented change.
Ultimately, Bhattacharya will only be in the role for a short time, at least officially. The role of CDC Director became a Senate-confirmed position in 2023, and, thus, an acting Director may serve only for 210 days from the date the role becomes vacant. That deadline expires on March 25. President Trump has not nominated anyone for the role of director.
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