US CDC official in charge of COVID, RSV data resigns ahead of vaccine meeting

17/6/2025 6:28

A U.S. government scientist who oversees the team responsible for collecting data on COVID-19 and RSV hospitalizations used to shape national vaccine policy has resigned, citing concerns over how such data would be used by the Trump administration.



The scientist, Dr. Fiona Havers, told colleagues at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday that she no longer had confidence that the COVID and RSV data would be used "objectively or evaluated with appropriate scientific rigor to make evidence-based vaccine policy decisions," according to an email seen by Reuters.



Havers, leader of the RESP-NET Hospitalization Surveillance Team, and the CDC did not immediately respond to requests for comment.



Her resignation follows moves by Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. to abruptly fire all 17 members of the CDC's independent vaccine advisory panel and drop a recommendation for administering COVID shots to healthy children and pregnant women.