Abraham, a vaccine skeptic, has been named the deputy principal director of the CDC. The agency has shuffled through multiple leaders since Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., also a vaccine skeptic, began overseeing the CDC earlier this year.

Abraham ordered the Louisiana health department to stop promoting mass vaccinations during an uptick in influenza cases last winter.

As Louisiana's surgeon general, Ralph Abraham has labeled COVID-19 vaccines “dangerous” and halted officials from promoting mass vaccination.

A Harvard study found that the children of women who contracted COVID-19 while pregnant may be at an increased risk for autism and other diagnoses, raising new concerns about the CDC’s decision to stop recommending the vaccine to pregnant women.

Abraham, a 70-year-old former Republican congressman who served three terms representing Louisiana’s 5th congressional district, started in his new role as principal deputy director on Nov. 23, according to the agency’s internal database.

Changing its web page, the CDC now promotes the myth that vaccines are linked to autism despite years of research refuting the claim.

Hundreds of scientific studies have found no link between vaccines and autism. But some doctors say they're fielding more and more questions from parents on the topic.

A major shift in federal health messaging has sparked intense concern among medical experts and autism advocacy groups. The sudden change, driven by political pressure, has raised questions about the reliability of public health communication and its impact on parents already navigating fear and confusion.