WASHINGTON — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has discreetly appointed Dr. Ralph Lee Abraham, a physician, former congressman, and vocal critic of certain vaccine policies, as its new principal deputy director. This position makes him the top-ranking medical doctor at the agency.
The appointment, effective Nov. 23, was only listed in the CDC’s internal database and was not publicly announced by the Department of Health and Human Services. Many CDC employees were unaware of the move until it was first reported by the Substack column Inside Medicine. An HHS spokesperson confirmed the appointment but declined to comment further. Dr. Abraham has not responded to requests for comment.
Dr. Abraham previously served as Louisiana’s surgeon general, where he ordered the state health department to halt mass Covid-19 vaccination campaigns and repeatedly described Covid vaccines as “dangerous.” His views have closely aligned with those of H.H.S. Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., including discouraging Tylenol use during pregnancy, opposing routine hepatitis B vaccination at birth, and calling for the removal of aluminum salts from vaccines.
A physician and veterinarian by training, Dr. Abraham served Louisiana in Congress from 2014 to 2020. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he promoted discredited treatments such as hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin, both proven ineffective against the virus. As Louisiana’s top health official, he also delayed publicly notifying the public about a pertussis outbreak that resulted in two deaths.
At the C.D.C., Dr. Abraham assumes a leadership role in an agency that still does not have a permanent director. Acting director Jim O’Neill, a former biotechnology executive, is currently in charge.
Public health leaders are voicing concern about the appointment. Dr. Nirav Shah, who served as the CDC’s principal deputy director until earlier this year, called Dr. Abraham “unqualified” and said the decision left him stunned. “Delayed notifying the public of at least two pertussis deaths is not just unacceptable, it’s shameful,” Dr. Shah said.
Dr. Abraham has been sharply critical of federal pandemic responses, calling Covid-era policies “tyrannical” and asserting — without evidence — that vaccines contain DNA contaminants and increase infection risk. He has also claimed he sees vaccine-related injuries “every day” in his clinic. These positions run counter to a large body of research showing that Covid vaccines significantly reduce the risk of severe illness, hospitalization, and death.
The appointment also widens an ongoing division within Louisiana’s political leadership. Earlier this year, Dr. Abraham publicly disagreed with Senator Bill Cassidy, a Republican pediatrician and chair of the Senate health committee, who criticized the surgeon general’s decision to end mass vaccination efforts, claiming it restricted access for busy families.
Dr. Abraham’s new role puts him at the heart of federal emergency response efforts and scientific decision-making amid ongoing C.D.C. efforts to rebuild public trust.
