A group of nine former directors of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention came together to condemn Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for his unacceptable tenure that should alarm every American.The former directors began by listing what they view as Kennedys most egregious moves. Related Childhood illness plagued my community growing up. We must never return to the pre-vaccine era. Mr. Kennedy has fired thousands of federal health workers andseverely weakenedprograms designed to protect Americans from cancer, heart attacks, strokes, lead poisoning, injury, violence and more, they wrote in an op-ed for the New York Times. Amid the largest measles outbreak in the United States in a generation, hesfocused onunproven treatments while downplaying vaccines.Hecanceledinvestments in promising medical research that will leave us ill-prepared for future health emergencies. Hereplacedexperts on federal health advisory committees with unqualified individuals who share his dangerous and unscientific views. He announced the end of U.S. support for global vaccination programs that protect millions of children and keep Americans safe,citingflawed research and making inaccurate statements. And hechampionedfederal legislation that will cause millions of people with health insurance through Medicaid tolosetheir coverage. Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today They said all of this culminated in the firing of CDC director Dr. Susan Monarez, which adds considerable fuel to this raging fire.Firing Dr. Monarez which led to the resignations of top CDC officials adds considerable fuel to this raging fire. Monarez was fired after less than a month on the job for refusing to rubber-stamp unscientific, reckless directives from Kennedy, according to her lawyers. Her dismissal led to a series of resignations by other top CDC officials, including out top official for Immunization and Respiratory DiseasesDr. Demetre Daskalakis.The former directors expressed deep fears over the consequences of Kennedys actions. Residents of rural communities and people with disabilities will have even more limited access to health care, they wrote. Families with low incomes who rely most heavily on community health clinics and support from state and local health departments will have fewer resources available to them. Children risk losing access to lifesaving vaccines because of the cost. They detailed how they collectively have more than 100 years of experience working at the CDC and have served under both Republican and Democratic administrations, from the Jimmy Carter administration to the present day.When the CDC was created in 1946, the average life expectancy in the United States was around66 years. Today it ismore than 78 years, the directors wrote. While medical advances have helped, it is public health that has played thebiggest rolein improving both the length and the quality of life in our nation.The CDC has led efforts toeradicatesmallpox, increase access tolifesaving vaccinations,andsignificantly reducesmoking rates. The agency is also on the front lines in communities across the country, delivering crucial but often less visible wins such ascontainingan outbreak of HIV cases in Scott County, Ind., andprotectingresidents in East Palestine, Ohio, from toxic chemical exposure. They added that Dr. Monarezs departure will make it far more difficult for the CDC to do what it has done for about 80 years: work around the clock to protect Americans from threats to their lives and health.They urged the American people and our representatives to rally to protect the countrys health. Congress must exercise its oversight authority over Health and Human Services. State and local governments must fill funding gaps where they can. Philanthropy and the private sector must step up their community investments. Medical groups must continue to stand up for science and truth. Physicians must continue to support their patients with sound guidance and empathy. The directors Richard Besser,Mandy K. Cohen,William Foege,Tom Frieden,Jeffrey Koplan,William Roper,David Satcher,Anne Schuchat, andRochelle P. Walensky also noted that even under the current presidents first administration, a belief in science and data-driven results still prevailed. That belief, they said, led to Operation Warp Speeds creation of effective and safe COVID-19 vaccines.Kennedy a conspiracy theorist who has no background in medical science has been a prominent voice in the anti-vaccine movement, which is based on pseudoscience and uses misinformation to spread the belief that vaccines dont prevent disease. He formerly chaired the Childrens Health Defense, an anti-vaccine organization that claims that vaccines cause autism, ADHD, food allergies, cancer, and autoimmune diseases.Kennedy has also been spearheading the elimination of HIV and AIDS related programs; believes autism destroys children and families; anddid nothing to stopthe end of a federal crisis hotline for LGBTQ+ youth. Nevertheless, he has positioned himself as a staunch defender of childrens health. In May, Kennedy sent out a letter to health care providers and medical boards urging them to update treatment protocols for children with gender dysphoria and warning them not to rely on scientific evidence. He has made several wild and unsubstantiated claims since assuming his role, such as that one of the consequences of food dyes is an American teenager [today] has less testosterone than a 68-year-old man.He also recently claimed he knew American kids are struggling because he assesses them at airports and can tell they have mitochondrial challenges, a nonsensical phrase. Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.