"Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services Jim O’Neill is expected to serve as acting director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to an administration official and another person familiar with the matter.
O’Neill joined HHS in June after years as a Silicon Valley-based technology and biotech investor, including stints with the Thiel Foundation and later the Thiel Fellowship, a grant program for young entrepreneurs started by billionaire Palantir founder Peter Thiel.
O’Neill also worked for HHS during the George W. Bush administration, when, as principal associate deputy secretary, he led changes to food regulation and emergency response."
Sarah Owermohle and Adam Cancryn report for CNN August 28, 2025.
SEE ALSO:
"CDC Gets New Acting Director As Leadership Turmoil Leaves Agency Reeling" (AP)
"Massive CDC Walkout Erupts Amid Internal Chaos" (Axios)
"CDC Leaders Who Resigned Said RFK Jr. Undermined Vaccine Science, Risking Lives" (Washington Post)
"‘It Feels Like the CDC Is Over’" (Atlantic)
"Kennedy Sought to Fire C.D.C. Director Over Vaccine Policy" (New York Times)
"CDC Erupts In Chaos After Ousted Chief Susan Monarez Refuses To Resign" (Guardian)
"GOP Senators Express Unease Over RFK Jr.’s CDC Shake-Up" (The Hill)
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