Sen. Bill Cassidy urges CDC Director Schwartz to block vaccine delay order

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R‑La.) said on Tuesday that he trusts the newly appointed Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director, Erica Schwartz, will “do the right thing” and refuse to enforce President Donald Trump’s executive order that called for sweeping changes to the childhood vaccine schedule. The order, issued in 2019, would have required a two‑year review of all vaccine recommendations, potentially delaying or removing routine shots such as MMR, polio and HPV. Cassidy, chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Human Services, and Labor, said he believes Schwartz will uphold science and protect public health.

The Trump‑era order sparked a backlash from scientists, public health officials and many lawmakers who warned it could erode trust in vaccines and lead to preventable disease outbreaks. The CDC, the nation’s top public‑health agency, has long guided vaccine schedules based on peer‑reviewed research. In March 2024, President Joe Biden appointed Schwartz, a former senior adviser in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and a former CDC epidemiologist, to lead the agency. Her background in infectious disease research and her record of evidence‑based policy make her a strong candidate to counter the Trump‑era mandate. Cassidy noted that Schwartz’s appointment signals a return to a data‑driven approach, and he urged the Senate to support her leadership.

If Schwartz refuses to implement the order, the executive directive will likely face legal challenges and congressional scrutiny. The Senate Committee on Health, Human Services, and Labor may hold a hearing to assess the CDC’s compliance and to examine the broader implications of the order. Meanwhile, the CDC will continue to monitor vaccine safety and effectiveness, and it may issue a public statement reaffirming its commitment to the established schedule. The outcome will shape the nation’s vaccine policy for years to come and could influence how future public‑health agencies respond to political pressures.