Cdc Director Tells Staff ‘misinformation Can Be Dangerous’ In Agency Meeting

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Susan Monarez warned staffers astir nan dangers of misinformation during an agencywide meeting, nan first since last week’s shooting astatine CDC’s headquarters successful Atlanta that near 1 constabulary serviceman dead, according to a transcript of her remarks obtained by NBC News.

Monarez conducted Tuesday’s unit gathering virtually, joined by Jim O’Neill, nan lawman caput of nan Department of Health and Human Services, and Jeff Williams, head of nan CDC’s Office of Safety, Security and Asset Management, successful an effort to reassure nan group who activity astatine nan Atlanta field astir their safety. She noted that nan agency has taken steps to bolster information and grow intelligence wellness sources for employees.

“Public wellness should ne'er beryllium nether attack,” Monarez said, echoing an earlier societal media station from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

“We cognize that misinformation tin beryllium dangerous,” Monarez told staffers. “Not only to health, but to those that spot america and those we want to trust. We request to rebuild nan spot together.”

Monarez said nan agency tin rebuild that spot pinch “rational, evidence-based discourse” communicated with ”compassion and understanding.”

The suspected shooter, Patrick White, 30, fired adjacent to 200 rounds that struck six buildings astatine nan CDC’s campus, rule enforcement officials said astatine a abstracted property convention Tuesday. A full of 5 firearms, including rifles and a shotgun, were recovered astatine nan scene.

On Tuesday’s call, Williams, nan caput of CDC’s security, said nan field buildings “sustained excessive damage,” adding that it will return clip for cleanup and repairs.

Nearly 100 children astatine nan childcare halfway located wrong CDC’s field were reunited pinch their parents Friday nighttime aft nan shooting.

Because CDC labor person been moving remotely since nan attack, Monarez expressed regret that they couldn’t meet successful person. She said that arsenic staffers return to field successful nan coming weeks, it will beryllium “different” and “unsettling, successful galore ways, for immoderate clip to come.”

White's motive remains nether investigation, though officials said they recovered documents astatine his location successful Kennesaw, Georgia, expressing his discontent pinch nan Covid vaccines.

One constabulary officer, David Rose, was killed while responding to nan gunfire.

In nan aftermath of nan onslaught connected nan CDC, staffers person been voicing vexation complete Kennedy’s past vaccine comments, which they said has fueled increasing hostility toward nationalist wellness officials.

When asked if Kennedy planned to reside vaccine misinformation, Andrew Nixon, a spokesperson for nan Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees nan CDC, said Monarez and CDC activity “remain focused connected supporting unit during an extraordinarily difficult clip arsenic evidenced by their continued nonstop engagement.”

“This is simply a clip to guidelines successful solidarity pinch our nationalist wellness workforce and we dream nan media will respect nan infinitesimal alternatively than exploiting a calamity and further exacerbating an already harrowing acquisition by nan dedicated CDC staff,” Nixon said successful nan connection to NBC News.

”The irony is her leader is nan biggest spreader of misinformation,” said Dr. Paul Offit, nan head of nan Vaccine Education Center astatine Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania, referring to Kennedy.

Offit, besides vaccine advisor for nan FDA, said nan unit astatine CDC aren’t responsible for nan misinformation.

“These people, they’re hardworking nationalist wellness folks, who attraction profoundly astir getting it right,” he said.

In a connection released Tuesday, Joseph Kanter, nan CEO of The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, a group that represents authorities nationalist wellness agencies, said “in this clip of heated rhetoric and polarization, we implore everyone to thief dampen inflammatory accusation undeservingly aimed astatine nationalist wellness professionals.”

On Monday, Kennedy visited CDC’s headquarters, wherever information led him done campus, pointing retired shattered windows crossed aggregate buildings, according to connection released by HHS.

Later, Kennedy met pinch nan widow of nan killed constabulary officer.

The HHS connection besides said nan agency "continues to support CDC unit and their families.” Over nan weekend, Kennedy sent an email to staff, saying nan agency is “standing together” successful nan aftermath of nan shooting.

Kennedy has been progressive successful opposing usage of nan Covid vaccines. He filed a citizens’ petition successful 2021 requesting that nan Food and Drug Administration revoke nan authorization of nan Covid vaccines. The aforesaid year, he described nan Covid changeable arsenic nan “deadliest vaccine ever made.”

He has besides taken steps nan limit usage of nan updated Covid vaccines for nan fall, restricting its usage to older adults and those pinch underlying wellness conditions.

Last week, Kennedy terminated astir 2 twelve contracts focused connected processing mRNA vaccines — nan aforesaid exertion utilized to create Pfizer’s and Moderna’s Covid shots.

Kennedy hasn’t yet spoken publically astir vaccine misinformation that whitethorn person contributed to nan shooting.

During nan Tuesday meeting, nan caput of CDC information tried to easiness worries astir returning to nan agency's campus.

“All indications are that this was an isolated arena involving 1 individual,” Williams said.