Louisiana Surgeon General Ralph Abraham has spoken against Covid shots and ended mass vaccination campaigns. Now he’s in a position to make national health decisions.

Louisiana Surgeon General Ralph Abraham — a vocal supporter of the “Make America Healthy Again” movement and a harsh critic of Covid shots — has been named principal deputy director at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The principal deputy director at the CDC is a high-level appointment. As second in command, Abraham would be in a position to act as a key adviser on a variety of public health issues.

A three-term Louisiana congressman, Abraham practiced for 10 years as a veterinarian before going to medical school. According to his biography on the Louisiana Department of Health website, Abraham was a “practicing family medicine physician” when he was appointed as state surgeon general in 2024. He described himself as a “country doctor” in an essay published in April.