NEW YORK — Dr. David Weldon, a name familiar to many anti-vaccine advocates, has been nominated to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) after more than 15 years away from the national spotlight. This nomination by former President Donald Trump has garnered attention, particularly from groups like Mississippi Parents for Vaccine Rights who regard him as aligning with their outlook.
While the nomination is pending Senate confirmation, a hearing is scheduled for Thursday. At 71, Weldon is a retired congressman from Florida noted for his connection with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the U.S. health secretary known for his opposition to vaccines. Despite his nomination stirring interest, neither Weldon nor Kennedy were available for comment.
Trump emphasized that Weldon’s nomination is intended to re-establish the CDC’s original mission, focusing on ending the “Chronic Disease Epidemic.” Historically, the CDC was set up nearly 80 years ago to combat malaria in the U.S. Over time, its scope broadened, making it a global authority on infectious diseases with a substantial budget exceeding $9 billion.
Weldon’s lack of direct experience in federal public health mirrors appointments from previous administrations, which often preferred outsiders familiar with public health. However, Weldon’s background isn’t in state health departments like others before him, but rather in medicine and politics as a former Army member and congressman from 1995 to 2009.
Post-Congress, Weldon returned to practicing medicine in Florida, taught at the Florida Institute of Technology, and led the Israel Allies Foundation’s board. He also vowed, in a letter to Health and Human Services (HHS), to cut ties with several organizations and holdings in energy and healthcare if confirmed.
Notably, Weldon has been vocal about vaccine safety, often clashing with CDC findings. During his time in Congress, he pursued research into the causes of autism—a movement catalyzed by a now-debunked study linking the MMR vaccine to autism. Weldon and his colleagues challenged mainstream studies dismissing such vaccine-autism links and criticized the CDC for hindering contrary research.
Moreover, Weldon supported fringe medical practices by inviting figures like Dr. Andrew Wakefield and Dr. James “Jeff” Bradstreet—a practitioner of alternative medicine for autism—to testify in Congress. Bradstreet’s death in 2015, following a raid by federal officials, was ruled a suicide.
Weldon’s appearance in the 2016 documentary “Vaxxed: From Cover-Up to Catastrophe,” directed by Wakefield, reiterated his longstanding criticisms of the CDC. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and others have accused the CDC of conflicts of interest due to its advisers’ financial links with pharmaceutical companies, leading to the CDC implementing new transparency measures.
At the upcoming Senate hearing, Weldon is expected to face questions from Democrats about his vaccine stance and his vision for the CDC, particularly under a health secretary critical of the agency. Former CDC acting director, Dr. Anne Schuchat, commented on the potential dual nature of Weldon’s impact: he could either greatly contribute to the CDC or undermine it, depending on his approach.
With Weldon’s nomination spotlighting deep-rooted issues in public health, the outcome of this confirmation process may significantly influence the future direction of the CDC.
