Kennedy fires top HHS aides, no public explanation

Kennedy's ouster of his top aides follows his replacement of all 17 members of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) independent advisory panel on vaccines in June.

Published: July 16, 2025 11:40am

Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Wednesday fired his chief of staff and deputy policy chief of staff, marking the latest shakeup in HHS leadership.

Chief of Staff Heather Flick Melanson and deputy chief of staff Hannah Anderson due a loss of confidence, CNN reported. HHS subsequently confirmed the removals and said that Matt Buckham would become acting chief of staff.

Kennedy's ouster of his top aides follows his replacement of all 17 members of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) independent advisory panel on vaccines in June.

Despite the leadership shakeup, the Kennedy HHS continues to post successes in its efforts to "Make American Healthy Again", especially by securing commitments from major food companies to remove artificial dyes from their products.

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