Louisiana Surgeon General Dr. Ralph Abraham will become the next principal deputy director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Official confirmation came when Dr. Abraham was listed with that same job title on an internal email service, and confirmed by a Health and Human Services spokesperson to the Associated Press.
The position is effectively second-in-command at the federal agency, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. While no official announcement from the CDC has come thus far, nor has Dr. Abraham responded to requests for comment, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry did leave a post on his official Facebook page this week, confirming all the news reports that the state’s surgeon general has indeed been hired by the CDC. Gov. Landry posted, “It’s a bittersweet day in Louisiana. While we are certainly sad to lose Dr. Abraham in Louisiana, we are thrilled to see the CDC gain a selfless leader.”
Also posted on Facebook from the medical school, “Congratulations to LSU Health Shreveport School of Medicine Alum, Ralph Abraham, MD…” That post goes on to explain all the details spelled out in this story.
As Louisiana Public Radio, in cooperation with KFF Health News report, Abraham has been a vocal supporter of Robert F Kennedy Jr.’s leadership and views on vaccines, as the current Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary in the Trump administration.As such, Abraham has called the COVID vaccine dangerous and forbid the state health department from promoting any vaccines or holding public vaccine events.
Dr. Abraham also waited months to warn the public after infants died of whooping cough during the recent outbreak.Dr. Nirav Shah held the same position [CDC deputy director] during the Biden administration. He characterized Abraham’s appointment as atrocious. “With the addition of Dr Abraham, they now have a scientific gloss that they can put on their anti-vaccine theories.”
The CDC has not said when Abraham’s new role begins.
Abraham has served as Louisiana’s first surgeon general just under two years, taking office January 3, 2024, following an attempted run for governor. The Republican had represented voters of Louisiana’s 5th Congressional District in Northeast Louisiana for three terms, serving from 2015-2021.
Dr. Abraham is both a veterinarian and a physician, receiving his DVM at LSU in 1980, and medical degree at LSU Health Shreveport in 1994. He has remained a practicing family physician in Richland Parish.
