THE APEX TIMES
Ex-CDC official Debra Houry says RFK Jr. measles comments were “not based on science or reality”
Dr. Debra Houry, who resigned in protest from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last summer, said her former agency faced pressure to redirect measles decisions toward questions she described as agenda-driven and not grounded in active outbreak response.
Dr. Debra Houry, a former chief medical officer at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s response to a measles outbreak was “not based on science or reality,” arguing that misinformation and competing data requests affected lives during the outbreak response.
In an interview with Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan, Houry said she was part of CDC efforts trying to stop the “worst measles outbreak since 2000” last year, while, she alleged, Kennedy and allies pursued requests for older, detailed case information rather than prioritizing the immediate response underway. Houry also said the spread of misinformation impacted public understanding and outcomes.
Houry described email communications she said reflected efforts to obtain years-old data about measles cases, including questions about deaths she said were addressed alongside requests for broad historical details. She told CBS News that she and CDC staff received requests for “15 years of data on every single measles case” and additional questions about whether other diseases were present in people who died during measles cases.
According to the report, the exchange occurred as measles was spreading nationwide, with CBS News reporting that more than 2,000 cases were recorded in the United States last year, including a West Texas outbreak linked to the deaths of two children. Houry said that, during that same period, she was concerned by statements she described as suggesting some measles deaths were not due to measles.
Houry said she told Kennedy administration officials that “active measles response has to take priority,” adding that she believed requests for large historical datasets and statements disputing aspects of outbreak-related information were aimed at addressing questions from other organizations or promoting beliefs rather than responding to the outbreak as it evolved.
The report also said Houry provided a trove of newly released emails to the Senate health committee. Houry’s comments come after she and other senior CDC officials resigned in protest last summer, a move described by CBS News as tied to internal disagreements over vaccine-related decisions and CDC leadership under the Kennedy administration.
Separate from Tuesday’s remarks, C-SPAN reported that a former CDC director and Houry testified before the Senate HELP Committee in September 2025, where the former CDC director said she was fired in August 2025 after refusing to comply with requests she described as requiring pre-approval of vaccine recommendations without having the science to support them.
Taken together, Houry’s latest comments add detail to a broader dispute over how the CDC’s public health work is directed during outbreak conditions, and they raise questions in the oversight process underway in Congress about the balance between active disease control and other data inquiries during a fast-moving public health emergency.
Why It Matters
- Measles is a vaccine-preventable disease, and outbreak response depends on timely, evidence-based decisions by public health agencies.
- Houry’s account highlights potential tensions between active outbreak operations and requests for older datasets, which could affect how CDC resources are allocated during emergencies.
- The dispute is playing out alongside congressional oversight, with the newly released emails provided to a Senate health committee forming part of the record.
- Public trust in health guidance can be strained when messaging is contested, particularly during outbreaks with high consequence for children and medically vulnerable populations.
Sources
Key Facts
- Dr. Debra Houry, a former CDC chief medical officer, said Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s measles response was “not based on science or reality.”
- Houry resigned from the CDC in protest last summer, CBS News reported, and described it as part of disagreements over how public health information and vaccine-related decisions were handled.
- CBS News reported that more than 2,000 measles cases were reported nationwide last year and that a West Texas outbreak was linked to the deaths of two children.
- Houry told CBS News she believed some administration requests and accompanying statements were aimed at questions outside active outbreak response, including requests for 15 years of measles-case data.
- CBS News reported that Houry provided newly released emails to a Senate health committee, describing communications involving data requests during the outbreak.