BATON ROUGE, La. (KALB) - Louisiana’s top health official is stepping down from his post to take on a new role at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Dr. Ralph Abraham, Louisiana’s Surgeon General, will serve as the agency’s principal deputy director.

A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services confirmed the appointment to NBC News , though it hadn’t been made public as of Tuesday, Nov. 25.

Earlier this year, Abraham directed Louisiana’s Health Department to cease promoting mass vaccination, advising patients to consult their doctors about vaccinations instead.

This internal memo, dated February 13, coincided with Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s swearing-in as HSS Secretary.

Meanwhile, the CDC has been without a permanent director since August, when Kennedy

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