Jennifer A. Shuford, deputy director and chief medical officer at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), plans to leave after the Nov. 3 midterms, creating a leadership transition at the agency.
The Washington Post said an administration official identified Nov. 12 as her last day, while The Guardian cited an internal CDC email. The Post reported that Shuford confirmed her departure and said in a statement, “I am leaving to spend more time with my family.”
The Post also reported that disagreements over the administration’s vaccine policy factored into the departure, citing two people familiar with it. Shuford’s statement cited family time as her reason.
June 3 committee meeting materials from the Texas Department of State Health Services say Shuford was scheduled to leave the state agency for the CDC on June 8. The Guardian described her tenure as six months. If June 8 was her first day at the CDC, a Nov. 12 departure would mean five months and four days; the materials record a planned transfer, not a confirmed start date.
President Donald Trump announced Shuford’s appointment on April 16 as one of four senior CDC selections. The agency’s June 22 profile says she helps steer its clinical and public-health work and advises the director on medical and scientific priorities.
The Guardian and The Washington Post reported that Dr. Satish Pillai is expected to take on the deputy director and chief medical officer roles temporarily as officials work toward a permanent appointment. The Guardian also noted that former CDC Director Susan Monarez left less than a month into her tenure.
The CDC leadership page, marked updated Oct. 16, continued to list Shuford and did not include Pillai as acting chief. The Nov. 3 midterms are the next scheduled milestone before the reported Nov. 12 departure.
