Ralph Abraham, MD, surgeon general of Louisiana, has been tapped as principal deputy director of the CDC, CNN reported Nov. 25.
The CDC does not currently have a permanent director after Susan Monrarez, PhD, was fired from the role in August. HHS did not announce Dr. Abraham’s hiring but did confirm his new role to CNN. Healthcare newsletter Inside Medicine first reported the news.
The news of Dr. Abraham’s appointment comes days after the CDC changes its website information on vaccines and autism to state that “vaccines do not cause autism is not an evidence-based claim.” While Dr. Abraham has not explicitly stated that he is anti-vaccine, according to CNN, he did instruct health department staff in Louisiana to stop promoting vaccines for preventable illnesses in February.
“The solution to increased spending and declining outcomes in our country is unlikely to come in the form of a pill or a shot,” Dr. Abraham said in a February statement. “Much of the solution will likely come down to the usual hard work of improving diet, increasing exercise, and making better lifestyle choices.”
According to a Nov. 25 report published by KATC, a local news outlet in Louisiana, Dr. Abraham was appointed as Louisiana’s first surgeon general last year. He also formerly served as a U.S. representative.
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