ABC News A top Louisiana health official has been appointed principal deputy director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
With no permanent director of the CDC, Dr. Ralph Abraham, Louisiana’s surgeon general, will be the highest ranked official at the agency with a medical degree.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ousted the former director, Susan Monarez, earlier this year after she refused to preemptively greenlight vaccine recommendations from the agency’s advisory panel. Jim O’Neill, Kennedy’s deputy, currently serves as the acting CDC director. Abraham, a Republican, served as a member of the House of Representatives from 2015 to 2021 before becoming the Louisiana surgeon general in 2024.
As a physician and veterinarian, Abraham has been accused by some health experts of spreading misinformation about COVID-19 vaccine and unproven treatments. In addition, he prevented his state’s health department from promoting vaccination efforts.