Jay Bhattacharya appointed acting CDC director

Jay Bhattacharya, currently the director of the United States===National Institutes of Health (NIH), has been appointed as the acting director of the United States===Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This move is part of a broader leadership shake-up within the United States===United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) orchestrated by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Trump administration. Bhattacharya replaces Jim O'Neill, who stepped down from both his acting CDC role and as deputy secretary of HHS and is expected to be nominated to lead the United States===National Science Foundation. The changes follow the ouster of former CDC director Susan Monarez, who clashed with Kennedy over vaccine policies. Bhattacharya is known for his criticism of past pandemic responses and co-authored the Great Barrington Declaration, advocating for an end to COVID lockdowns. The restructuring aims to align federal health policy with the administration's priorities ahead of the midterm elections, with a shift in focus from vaccine mandates to other health issues like healthy eating. The NIH has also faced budget cuts and staff reductions under the current administration.