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Past CDC Directors/Administrators. Español (Spanish) Print. 2021 – 2023: Rochelle P. Walensky, MD, MPH. 2018 – 2021: Robert R. Redfield, MD. 2017 – 2018: Brenda Fitzgerald, MD.
Jul 11, 2023 · As scientists and staff badged into the headquarters of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday, the agency’s new director stood waiting for them, a smile on her face and her...
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- Overview
- Fighting vaccine misinformation
When Dr. Mandy Cohen walked into the headquarters of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta less than two weeks ago, she knew trust in America's top health agency was broken.
Attacks on the agency's scientific data and sometimes confusing public policy guidance were coming from Washington lawmakers, social media and people across the country.
In her first media interview as the new CDC director, Cohen said she is refocusing the agency on rebuilding faith with more transparency and improved communication and by "bringing the best evidence that we possibly can" to the public.
"It's an everyday, tactical plan," she said.
"Trust" was the focus of the first meeting she had with CDC staff members. She said trust was the foundation of the hard work the agency faces as it moves forward from missteps made during the pandemic.
"If we want folks to trust us — and we do — we have to work together differently, and we have to trust each other as we're doing that work," she said.
That ability to communicate clearly and effectively will be key as she faces ongoing health threats of vaccine misinformation and conspiracy theories about the Covid vaccines and other vaccines, as well as scathing criticisms from presidential hopefuls.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, has publicly questioned whether CDC scientists should be trusted, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a Democrat, has accused the CDC, without evidence, of lying about Covid vaccines.
The best way to ease doubts is with clear and stable communication.
"You're going to hear us with some key messages, making sure that folks hear them over and over," she said.
The strategy: "Be accurate, be simple, and be repetitive."
One lesson she learned as North Carolina’s health secretary is that she is not always the best conduit for public health guidance. Her team sometimes turned to faith leaders, NASCAR drivers, even TikTok influencers to get scientific information to the public.
Aug 1, 2023 · NPR's Sacha Pfeiffer talks with Dr. Mandy Cohen, the new director of the CDC, about her vision for the agency in the wake of COVID and how to prepare for fall surges of flu and COVID.
Jun 16, 2023 · NEW YORK — Dr. Mandy Cohen, a former North Carolina official, will be the new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the White House announced Friday.
Jul 26, 2023 · T he new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Mandy Cohen, is only two weeks into her new job. But already she hears the clock ticking. If all goes well, Cohen — the ...
Jan 5, 2022 · As director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Walensky’s job is to protect the nation, and by extension the world, from threats like this one.
