Dr. Erica Schwartz faces a Senate confirmation hearing Wednesday for CDC director. Trump's third nominee for the role, Schwartz is a retired rear admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps with degrees in medicine, law, and public health. She previously served as chief medical officer of the U.S. Coast Guard and deputy surgeon general in the first Trump administration. Earlier this year, Schwartz voiced support for vaccines on Instagram, though the page was removed after her nomination.

If confirmed, Schwartz will work under HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has sought to change federal immunization policies. Public health veterans express optimism about her credentials. Dr. Marcus Plescia says the CDC needs a director who can "step in and be a spokesperson on emerging issues." However, the agency faces major challenges: staff cuts, low morale, and political interference. Internal emails reveal Kennedy's office pressured former director Susan Monarez, who served less than a month before being fired.

Trump's first pick, Dr. Dave Weldon, withdrew before his hearing. The next director must stabilize a CDC that has lost thousands of staffers and faced pressure to bend to political directives. Also up for confirmation Wednesday is Sean Kaufman, nominated for assistant secretary for strategic preparedness and response. Kaufman has questioned universal COVID-19 and hepatitis B vaccine safety.