Under staunchly anti-vaccine Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has named Louisiana Surgeon General Ralph Abraham as its new principal deputy director — a choice that was immediately called “dangerous” and “irresponsible,” yet by experts it was not as bad as it could have been.
Physician Jeremy Faust revealed the appointment yesterday in his newsletter Inside Medicine, which was later confirmed by reporters. Faust said a CDC source told him, “I’ve heard worse names have come out,” and that although Abraham’s ideas are “probably pretty terrible,” unlike other current leaders of the agency, at least he has relevant experience running a public health system.
But Abraham isn’t exactly running the health system the way most public health experts would recommend. Under Abraham’s leadership, the Louisiana Department of Health waited months to inform residents about an outbreak of deadly whooping cough (pertussis). He also has a clear record of anti-vaccine views. Earlier this year, he told a Louisiana news outlet that he does not recommend COVID-19 vaccines because “I prefer natural immunity.” In February, he ordered the Health Department to stop promoting mass vaccinations, including flu shots, and barred staff from conducting seasonal vaccination campaigns.
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