The director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, will serve as acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), two administration officials said on Wednesday, Sheryl Gay Stolberg reported for The New York Times on Wednesday, February 18.

“Dr. Bhattacharya will replace Jim O’Neill, who had been serving as deputy health secretary until he left the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on Friday,” Stolberg wrote.

The CDC has faced significant instability, including budget cuts, staff reductions, and controversies during HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s tenure, Reuters reporters noted.

In August, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pushed Susan Monarez, Ph.D., out of her job as Director of the CDC, with President Donald Trump making the final decision, even as Dr. Monarez refused to resign.

Officials from the Trump administration stated they intend to appoint a permanent CDC director, a role subject to Senate confirmation.