The White House has missed a deadline to nominate a new CDC director, prolonging uncertainty over the agency's leadership.[1][2][3] Under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act, Jay Bhattacharya could serve as interim director for a maximum of 210 days without Senate confirmation, which expired on Wednesday.[1][3][4] Bhattacharya, who is also director of the National Institutes of Health, will continue to perform the delegable duties of CDC director, but will lose the official title of interim director.[1][2][3] Some non-delegable functions will be taken over by Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr.[1] The previous director, Susan Monarez, was confirmed in July but fired in late August after disagreeing with Kennedy's vaccination policy.[1] The administration is looking for a permanent candidate, with about six contenders in the running.[2] According to Bhattacharya's comments at a staff meeting, Trump may nominate a new director soon, but a change is not inevitable.[2] This confirms the ongoing chaos in CDC management since the beginning of Trump's second term.[1][4]