Vet-Turned-Vax-Skeptic Takes CDC Helm, Ivermectin’s Cheerleader
KEY POINTS
- •Ralph Abraham, former Louisiana health official and three-term congressman, was appointed CDC principal deputy director in early 2025.
- •He banned mass vaccination promotional events in Louisiana last winter and publicly disputed COVID-19 vaccine safety with Senator Bill Cassidy.
- •Abraham supported making ivermectin prescription-free and was one of Louisiana's highest prescribers despite evidence of its ineffectiveness against COVID-19.
- •His appointment fills CDC leadership gaps after the August 2025 firing of Director Susan Monarez and reports aired of multiple executive exits.
In a plot twist that’s redefining public health drama, former Louisiana Surgeon General Ralph Abraham, who moonlighted as a vet for 10 years before playing doctor in Congress (2015-2021), just snagged CDC’s principal deputy director spot. This February, he banned Louisiana’s promo blitzes for mass vaccinations and publicly told Senator Bill Cassidy to 'stay in his lane' over COVID-19 shots he distrusts. Amid this, Abraham championed ivermectin—the so-called horse medicine turned unwelcome COVID cure—ranking as Louisiana’s 7th highest prescriber in 2021. That’s right: the CDC's new top doc once backed viral horse paste, now rebooting CDC leadership under Silicon Valley investor-turned-acting director Jim O'Neill.
Share the Story
When your CDC deputy chief once banned vaccine promos, told a senator to 'stay in his lane,' and pushed horse meds for COVID, you know public health just got an unexpected reboot starring irony and ivermectin.
Critics say leadership failures cause chaos, but our new CDC deputy director rides in with ivermectin prescriptions and a 'stay in your lane' catchphrase.
Louisiana vet-turned-CDC deputy’s journey: from stopping vaccination ads to endorsing horse medicine—because who needs science when you have cowboy confidence?
Source: Axios | Published: 11/26/2025 | Author: Adriel Bettelheim
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