Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) staff are expressing growing frustration over Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s controversial vaccine rhetoric, in the wake of Friday’s tragic shooting at the agency’s Atlanta headquarters that resulted in the death of a police officer.
Though the motive behind the attack by Patrick White, 30, of Kennesaw, Georgia, remains unclear, a source told NBC News on condition of anonymity that White believed Covid vaccines had caused his illness.
On Monday, Kennedy visited the CDC campus where security officials escorted him, pointing out the extensive damage to multiple buildings, including shattered windows, according to a statement from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Kennedy also met with the widow of the fallen officer.
In response to the shooting, CDC employees were instructed to work remotely this week. A virtual all-staff meeting is planned for Tuesday, though Kennedy’s attendance has not been confirmed.
The shooting occurred near the CDC campus, which includes an on-site daycare center, and close to Emory University.
For many CDC workers, the shooting underscored a rising hostility toward public health officials, a climate they believe has been fueled by Kennedy’s longstanding promotion of vaccine misinformation, particularly regarding the Covid vaccine.
In 2021, Kennedy petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to revoke Covid vaccine authorization and described the vaccine as “the deadliest vaccine ever made.” Just last week, he canceled 22 contracts related to mRNA vaccine development—the technology behind Pfizer’s and Moderna’s Covid shots—claiming on X that “mRNA technology poses more risks than benefits for these respiratory viruses.”
HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon, in an emailed statement, said Kennedy “has unequivocally condemned the horrific attack and remains fully committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of CDC employees.” Nixon added, “This is a time to stand in solidarity with our public health workforce, not a moment for the media to exploit a tragedy for political gain.”
Kennedy has yet to publicly address the role vaccine misinformation may have played in the shooting.
Extensive research has shown Covid vaccines to be both safe and effective.
“There’s a lot of misinformation, a lot of really dangerous rhetoric that’s currently being spread by the current administration, that makes us seem like villains, that makes us seem like our work is setting out to hurt people,” CDC employee Elizabeth Soda said. “So it’s not at all surprising that people are going to listen to our leaders.”
Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease specialist at UCSF, explained that the Covid vaccine has become a convenient scapegoat for broader pandemic-related losses—including death, mental and physical health challenges, and restrictions on personal freedoms. “The vaccine is something you could focus on instead of a general feeling of loss,” he said.
Even before the Atlanta shooting, public health officials like Dr. Anthony Fauci faced numerous threats. Chin-Hong noted he received multiple threatening emails daily at the pandemic’s peak and still receives hateful messages weekly. Despite the risks, he continues public speaking on vaccines but acknowledged the CDC shooting has heightened his sense of personal danger.
Within employee group chats, frustration with Kennedy’s rhetoric is widespread.
“People feel this is a natural progression when you spend years denigrating science and public health, spreading misinformation about vaccines and publicly attacking federal workers,” said one CDC employee who requested anonymity.
“Folks, myself included, are pissed off,” the source added.
An HHS employee pointed out that Kennedy “has demonized our work,” a sentiment felt deeply by many.
On Saturday, Kennedy emailed CDC staff expressing his prayers and calling the shooting “deeply unsettling,” especially for those based in Atlanta, reassuring them, “You’re not alone.”
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