CDC announces sweeping agency review to regain public trust

CDC director calls for agency review to regain public's trust

The Centers for Disease Control director is calling for a one-month review to identify ways it can reform. Five former CDC directors held their own review through the public health school at Harvard University.

DALLAS - The head of the long-respected Centers for Disease Control admits she has work to do to restore trust in the agency following pandemic mistakes.

The agency has faced backlash over its changing and sometimes conflicting advice to Americans.

Director Rochelle Walensky is calling for a review of that and to look forward.

Two former CDC directors said the biggest challenge is not science, it’s politics.

"We need to face the question, do we want – and I sure hope we do – do we want a standardized nationwide public health data system," said former CDC Director William Roper.

"We spend literally three to five hundred times less on our health defense that we do on our military defense and yet no war in American history has killed a million people as COVID has in the past two years," said former CDC Director Tom Frieden.

Current Director Walensky defended the CDC, saying in its 75-year history it has never had to make decisions so quickly.

The 30-day review starts next week.