CDC appoints NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya as acting leader amid federal health leadership reshuffle
Leadership change at the nation’s top public health agency
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), headquartered in the Atlanta region, is set to be led on an interim basis by National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Jay Bhattacharya. The move places oversight of two major federal health agencies under a single acting leader while the administration prepares to select a permanent CDC director, a position that requires Senate confirmation.
Bhattacharya is a physician and health economist who became nationally prominent during the COVID-19 pandemic. He has been a high-profile critic of some pandemic-era policies, including lockdowns and masking mandates, and was a co-author of the Great Barrington Declaration, a document that argued for a different approach to pandemic management.
Transition follows removal of prior acting CDC director
The appointment follows a broader restructuring at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Jim O’Neill, who had been serving as acting CDC director, was removed as part of the leadership reshuffle. The administration has also indicated O’Neill is expected to be nominated to lead the National Science Foundation.
The CDC has experienced repeated leadership changes in recent months. Susan Monarez previously served a brief period as Senate-confirmed director in 2025 before being removed; O’Neill then served as acting director until his departure in February 2026.
Acting role intersects with recent vaccine policy changes
The leadership change comes after a significant update to the U.S. childhood immunization schedule announced on January 5, 2026. Under that update, CDC maintained a structure dividing vaccines into three categories and shifted several immunizations away from the “recommended for all children” category, while stating that insurance coverage would continue for vaccines that had been recommended as of December 31, 2025.
The revised framework maintained routine recommendations for vaccines that address, among others, measles, mumps and rubella; polio; diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis; pneumococcal disease; Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib); varicella; and human papillomavirus (HPV). Other immunizations—such as influenza, hepatitis A and B, COVID-19, rotavirus, meningococcal disease, and RSV-related guidance—were placed in categories emphasizing high-risk indications or shared clinical decision-making.
What happens next
The CDC will continue operating under an acting director while a permanent nominee is selected and, if advanced, considered by the Senate.
Bhattacharya is expected to retain his NIH responsibilities while serving as acting CDC director.
HHS has indicated implementation and public communication around the updated childhood immunization schedule will continue in coordination with states, clinicians, and partner organizations.
As the CDC’s acting leadership changes again, the immediate operational focus remains continuity of agency functions—surveillance, outbreak response, and publication of federal guidance—while the administration determines longer-term leadership for the Atlanta-based agency.