ATLANTA, Georgia — A former Louisiana health official who moved to curb statewide COVID-19 vaccination outreach has quietly become the second-highest-ranking leader at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Ralph Abraham, a physician and former Republican congressman, is now listed in an internal CDC directory as principal deputy director, according to reporting from The Hill. The Department of Health and Human Services did not announce his appointment publicly but confirmed it to multiple outlets.
Abraham previously ordered Louisiana’s health department to stop promoting mass vaccination, a directive issued on the same day Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was confirmed as Health and Human Services secretary. The decision drew widespread attention during the winter respiratory season and aligned Abraham with several vaccine-skeptical officials elevated under Kennedy’s leadership.
With HHS Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill serving as acting director, Abraham now plays a central role in CDC operations. He has publicly argued that government agencies should not promote pharmaceutical products from manufacturers shielded from liability, describing vaccine messaging as part of several federal “COVID missteps.”
NPR earlier found that Louisiana failed to alert physicians for months about two whooping cough deaths during the state’s worst outbreak in 35 years, occurring when Abraham oversaw key public-health operations. His vaccine-related views also brought him into conflict with Sen. Bill Cassidy, who pushed for wider access to COVID-19 vaccination statewide.
Sources
• The Hill – MBFC Rating
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