Senate confirms Erica Schwartz as CDC director

Dr. Erica Schwartz has been confirmed by the Senate as the new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), filling a critical leadership position vacant for almost a year. The confirmation vote was 51 to 44 on Wednesday.

Schwartz's appointment marks a historic moment as she becomes the first Black woman to head the CDC. She steps into the role following a turbulent period, including the ousting of her predecessor, former director Susan Monarez, last August after just 29 days on the job. National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya had been serving as acting CDC director since February.

A retired Navy rear admiral, Schwartz possesses a wealth of experience, including her previous role as deputy surgeon general and oversight of the U.S. Coast Guard's health care system. Her background includes responding to significant public health crises such as Ebola and H1N1 outbreaks, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

Schwartz assumes leadership amid ongoing concerns about the Ebola outbreak in Africa and amid criticism directed at the Trump administration regarding vaccine recommendations. Her predecessor, Monarez, had testified that she was removed for refusing to follow Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s vaccine recommendations, which she claimed lacked scientific basis.