Dr. Ralph Abraham, COVID Vaccine Critic & Louisiana Health Chief, Named CDC Principal Deputy Director Amid Concerns

Controversial Louisiana Health Chief Dr. Ralph Abraham Appointed CDC Principal Deputy Director

Dr. Ralph Abraham, Louisiana's controversial health department head and a vocal critic of COVID-19 vaccines, has been appointed as the principal deputy director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This significant appointment, confirmed by an official from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), places Abraham as the second-highest-ranking official within the nation's premier public health agency, a role that has been vacant since Dr. Nirav Shah stepped down in February.

A Record of Vaccine Skepticism and Controversial Policies

Abraham's tenure in Louisiana has been marked by contentious policies and public statements. As the state's first Surgeon General, appointed by Republican Governor Jeff Landry in 2024, he banned the promotion of COVID, flu, and mpox vaccines by the state health department. This ban was broadened to all vaccine promotion and related events in February, shortly after Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. was confirmed as Health Secretary. Abraham, a former Republican congressman and physician from Richland Parish, openly supports Kennedy and shares many of his vaccine-skeptical views, having previously labeled COVID vaccines as “dangerous” and advocating for investigations into the debunked link between vaccines and autism.

Public Health Experts Raise Alarms

His appointment is viewed with alarm by many in the public health community. Dr. Nirav Shah, his predecessor, called the selection “atrocious,” suggesting that Abraham's medical degree would provide a “scientific gloss” to what Shah terms “anti-vaccine theories” promoted by Health Secretary Kennedy and the CDC's acting director, Jim O'Neill, neither of whom are doctors or scientists. Anne Schuchat, a veteran of the CDC who served as principal deputy director from 2015 to 2021, described the appointment as “scary,” emphasizing that “ideology should not outweigh the evidence” regarding vaccine efficacy.

Delayed Response During Whooping Cough Outbreak

The implications of Abraham's approach to public health have already been observed. In late 2024, Louisiana experienced its worst whooping cough (pertussis) outbreak in 35 years, with 387 cases and two infant deaths. Despite the severity, Abraham's health department waited three months before issuing official alerts to physicians and warning the public, leading Shah to comment that Abraham's instinct in an emergency is to “sweep it under the rug,” potentially exacerbating future outbreaks.

Broader Skepticism and Credibility Concerns

Beyond vaccines, Abraham has also supported unsuccessful bills to ban fluoride in public water systems and championed legislation to expand access to ivermectin for COVID treatment, despite a lack of scientific evidence for its effectiveness against the virus. Lawrence Gostin, a professor of global health law at Georgetown University, deemed Abraham's selection an “irresponsible choice,” predicting it would “further erode the credibility of the CDC.” The HHS has not yet announced Abraham's start date in his new role, leaving the public health community anticipating the direction the CDC will take under this new leadership.