Susan Monarez has been a leading health researcher for over three decades and enjoyed a long career in the federal government service. Despite having the highest credentials on paper of any nominee for the position, Monarez’s nomination has drawn the ire of anti-vaccine activists and conspiracy theorists. Their reasons for opposing her appointment include her reported ties to the intelligence community and her pro-mRNA vaccine stance.
As an immunologist, Monarez is highly regarded in the medical community. Prior to that, she served as deputy director at the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H). This agency, under the jurisdiction of Health and Human Services (HHS), was created in 2022. Her nomination has sparked a firestorm of protest. This outcry is based largely on conspiracy theories that confuse ARPA-H with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa), which is under the Department of Defense. Some worry about her support for research funded by the Bill Gates philanthropic foundation. They grill her on her support for policies associated with Anthony Fauci.
This appointment has been viewed by some as the Trump administration’s attempt at making an anti-vaccine movement rebuttal. It’s Monarez’s support of mRNA vaccines, though, especially those created during the Covid-19 pandemic, that hasn’t just ruffled feathers among opponents but earned their wrath. Unfortunately, right-wing media platforms and anti-vax outlets have piled on the opposition, calling her suitability into question based on her scientific mindset.
Secretary of HHS Robert F Kennedy came to Monarez’s defense, even as the tide turned sharply against the nominations.
“I handpicked Susan for this job because she is a longtime champion of MAHA values, and a caring, compassionate and brilliant microbiologist and a tech wizard who will reorient CDC toward public health and gold-standard science.” – Robert F Kennedy
Despite this scant formal support, opposition figures such as Stella Immanuel are loud and aggressive in their opposition.
“That’s all great Secretary, but it’s time to ban mRNA injections! It’s time to prosecute Anthony Fauci. It’s time to remove vaccine mandates from our schools.” – Stella Immanuel
On social media, context-free misinformation has made even more challenging the debate that has formed around Monarez’s appointment.
“X posts that erroneously attribute Biden-era tweets supporting masks, lockdowns, vaccine mandates, etc. to my @CDCgov Director nominee, Susan Monarez, have understandably provoked agita within the MAHA movement.” – Robert F Kennedy
This uncertainty has fueled the fire of the divide between public health advocates and anti-vaxx conspiracy theorists. Denver public interest attorney Margo Montez-Lind raised alarm about Monarez’s previous connections and policy endorsements.
“She worked for Biden & Obama. She supports all of Fauci’s policies, and is a huge proponent of Big Pharma. She pushes the dangerous Mrna covid jab for babies. Loves boosters. Loves masks. This is an absolute nightmare!” – Margo Montez-Lind
The brewing controversy serves to underscore the ongoing battle between science-based public health strategies and anti-vaxxer, neo-luddite, a-pharmaceutical intervention movements.