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Bethesda Today
By the People, for the People
NIH Director Temporarily Takes Helm of CDC
Dr. Jay Bhattacharya to serve as acting CDC director while also leading the National Institutes of Health.
Published on Feb. 22, 2026
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The director of the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, will temporarily take on the role of acting director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an administration official announced. Bhattacharya will continue to serve as head of the NIH while also leading the CDC until a permanent director is appointed.
Why it matters
The CDC has faced significant upheaval in recent years, with multiple acting directors and clashes between the agency and the Trump administration over issues like vaccine policy. Bhattacharya's appointment aims to provide stability and leadership at the CDC during this transitional period.
The details
Bhattacharya is replacing HHS Deputy Secretary Jim O'Neill, who had been serving as acting CDC director since last August. O'Neill was a controversial figure who amplified anti-vaccine messaging and was seen as a poor communicator. Prior to joining the Trump administration, Bhattacharya was a health economist and professor at Stanford University Medical School, and is best known for co-authoring the Great Barrington Declaration, which opposed certain COVID-19 mitigation measures.
- Bhattacharya will take on the acting CDC director role immediately.
- O'Neill left his role as acting CDC director last Friday.
The players
Dr. Jay Bhattacharya
The director of the National Institutes of Health who will also temporarily serve as the acting director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Jim O'Neill
The HHS Deputy Secretary who had been serving as the acting director of the CDC since last August.
Dr. Susan Monarez
The former CDC director who was ousted by HHS Director Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. after clashing with him over vaccine policy.
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
The HHS Director who ousted the previous CDC director, Dr. Susan Monarez, after she declined to dismiss top agency leaders.
What they’re saying
“The Declaration, named for the Massachusetts town where they signed it, drew considerable scrutiny from many doctors and scientists because it argued while the most vulnerable people should be protected, people should otherwise resume a normal life, so the world could gain herd immunity through infection with the virus.”
— Dr. Jay Bhattacharya (CNN)
What’s next
The administration must now appoint a permanent director of the CDC, a position that requires Senate confirmation.
The takeaway
Bhattacharya's appointment aims to bring stability and leadership to the CDC during a period of significant upheaval, as the agency has faced multiple acting directors and clashes with the Trump administration over issues like vaccine policy.
