Former Texas health commissioner Jennifer Shuford is leaving her CDC deputy director post after about six months

Dr. Jennifer Shuford, who ran the Texas Department of State Health Services before joining federal health leadership this spring, is stepping down as deputy director and chief medical officer of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A CDC spokesperson said her last day will be Nov. 12, KERA and KUT reported Tuesday. The Washington Post first reported the departure.

In a statement released by the agency, Shuford said she is leaving to spend more time with her family. "I am so thankful to President Trump and Secretary Kennedy for giving me the opportunity to help lead CDC," she said. "It has been an amazing experience and I will be forever grateful for it."

CDC Director Dr. Erica Schwartz praised her leadership "in an exceptionally demanding, high-profile, and constantly evolving environment over the past several months." President Trump picked both women for the agency's top ranks in April.

Dr. Satish Pillai will serve as acting chief medical officer until a permanent replacement is named, the agency said.

Her Texas record

As state health commissioner, Shuford oversaw the response to the 2025 measles outbreak in West Texas and helped lead the state's response to COVID-19 before that. Like Schwartz, she has supported vaccines, KERA reported. She trained as an infectious disease physician at UT Southwestern Medical School in Dallas and holds a master's in public health from Harvard.

KERA noted that U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vaccine skeptic, has clashed with CDC leaders before; former CDC director Susan Monarez has said disagreements with Kennedy over vaccine policy led to her firing. Shuford's statement did not mention any disagreement, and KUT said it had asked her for further comment.

Sources

kera.org

kut.org

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