At the opening plenary, Dr. Demetre Daskalakis received the HIV Medical Association Transformative Leader Award.
In August, Daskalakis resigned from his position as the director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the CDC, writing that HHS leaders’ views challenged his ability to do his job.
When receiving his award, he said that he believed an effective response to infectious diseases requires science, political will, and co-creation with affected communities.
Daskalakis went on: “All of those, right now, are under attack. This, however, is an important opportunity for leadership. Public health is being dismantled. The political will is not to build. The political will is to destroy. Science is being contaminated by ideology. Communities are being erased. We must all become transformative leaders together.”
As the Associated Press’ Mike Stobbe reported, some CDC workers said they were told not to attend the conference after being invited. In response, HHS spokesperson Emily Hilliard said that the Trump administration believes federal scientists should share their research and expertise with peers and the public. She also said that conferences are vetted “to ensure compliance with ethics rules and the responsible use of taxpayer funds.”
In August, HHS told medical organization leaders, many of whom were at IDWeek, that they could no longer contribute to vaccine recommendations, a procedure they have historically participated in.
Daskalakis concluded his speech by asking the audience to lead with “moral courage” through “the dark ages,” and then got a standing ovation.
In an email to Business Insider, Hilliard said: “Secretary Kennedy has been clear: the CDC has been broken for a long time, and he is committed to restoring it as the world’s most trusted guardian of public health through sustained reform. His focus is on returning the CDC to its core mission and ending the culture of insularity that has undermined public confidence.”
