The White House has fired the chief of the US’s top public health agency after she reportedly clashed with Robert F Kennedy Jr over vaccine policy.

Dr Susan Monarez was ousted after less than a month of leading the Centres for Disease Control (CDC), when the White House stepped in after Mr Kennedy tried to kick her out and she refused to quit.

Four other senior scientists also quit the agency, reportedly in apparent frustration at Mr Kennedy’s leadership and sceptical stance on vaccines.

Sources told CNN that Dr Monarez had clashed with Mr Kennedy over vaccine policies, including an upcoming announcement that could draw links between immunisations and autism.

Another source also told The New York Times that the pair had been at odds over vaccine policy.