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Last week, the CDC Director finally stated the obvious. During an interview, Rochelle Walensky said her agency mishandled significant parts of its responsibilities during Covid, and an overhaul of that agency is now needed.

You think?! Where do we begin with this?

We’re talking about an agency that recommended masks for TWO-YEAR-OLD children, despite studies indicating their ineffectiveness. We’re talking about an agency that was in consultation with teachers’ unions – who fought vigorously for remote learning – when drafting its guidance for schools. We’re talking about an agency that routinely changed its guidance based not on science, but rather political whims. The list goes on and on.

The damage that’s been done to public trust in the CDC simply cannot be overstated.

And it continues to this day. The CDC’s handling of monkeypox is case in point, simultaneously telling us monkeypox “is not known to linger in the air and is not transmitted during short periods of shared airspace” while also saying people who care for someone with monkeybox are more likely to get infected without a mask. Either it’s airborne or it’s not. Which is it?

At every step along the way, the CDC has appeared inept and flatfooted, even during the Trump administration. It’s only gotten worse under Walensky’s leadership, so as long as we’re talking about an overhaul, she probably needs to exit as part of that process.