Louisiana Surgeon General Ralph Abraham, a critic of COVID-19 vaccines, has been named second-in-command at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
While there has not been an official announcement about Abraham’s role, a CDC spokesperson confirmed with CBS News Atlanta that he was listed in the Atlanta-based agency’s address book as principal deputy director. A Health and Human Services spokesperson has also confirmed his appointment.
Abraham, a 70-year-old former Republican congressman and doctor from rural northeast Louisiana, served three terms in the House of Representatives before losing his bid for governor in 2019. He was appointed surgeon general in December 2023.
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In February, Abraham ordered his staff to stop engaging in media campaigns and community health fairs to encourage vaccinations, saying in a memo that the Louisiana Department of Health “will no longer promote mass vaccination.” The announcement was made the same day that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was sworn in to serve as President Trump’s health secretary.
In a letter posted on the Louisiana Department of Health’s website, Abraham decried “blanket government mandates” for vaccines and criticized the CDC’s COVID-19 vaccination push, saying individuals should make their own decisions about vaccinations.
“Government should admit the limitations of its role in people’s lives and pull back its tentacles from the practice of medicine,” Abraham argued.
Dr. Nirav Shah, an epidemiologist who served in the position under former President Biden’s administration, criticized the appointment on X.
“Dr. Abraham has been on the wrong side of several important public health issues over the past decade,” Shah wrote. “His track record, which includes undermining confidence in vaccines and minimizing the risk of outbreaks, disqualifies him from steering an agency charged with protecting all Americans.”
Abraham’s appointment comes as Kennedy, a longtime anti-vaccine activist, has intensified attacks on some components used in vaccinations. Earlier this month, a CDC webpage was updated with language claiming that studies have not ruled out linking vaccines to the development of autism. Kennedy later told the New York Times in an interview that he personally directed the agency to update the page.
The CDC has remained without a permanent director since August, after Kennedy fired Dr. Susan Monarez less than a month after the Senate confirmed her to lead the agency. Monarez testified in front of Congress in September that Kennedy had pressured her to change CDC guidance over childhood vaccinations.
CBS News Atlanta has attempted to reach out to Abraham for comment on his appointment and will update the story if we receive one.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
