In a much anticipated public appearance, Susan Monarez, the former head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, defended her short tenure at the embattled public health agency. She testified that she was ousted last month because she refused to follow Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s demands to pre-approve vaccine recommendations for the public and fire career scientists.

"Even under pressure, I could not replace evidence with ideology," Monarez told members of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions on Wednesday. "Vaccine policy should be guided by evidence and credible science."

Monarez rejected Secretary Kennedy claims – outlined in a Wall Street Journal op-ed and reiterated during a congressional hearing last week – that she was fired be

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