ATLANTA — Dr. Ralph Abraham, a former Louisiana congressman, has resigned as principal deputy director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention after just weeks on the job.

The CDC cited "unforeseen family obligations."

"It has been an honor to serve alongside the dedicated public health officials at the CDC and to support the agency's critical mission," Abraham said in a statement.

Abraham had been Louisiana's surgeon general before being named late last year to the No. 2 post at the CDC. As Louisiana's chief medical officer, he halted state Department of Health mass vaccination events that targeted illness outbreaks.

He also called COVID-19 vaccines "dangerous" despite their suppressing the 2020 pandemic. Also, despite studies showing they were ineffective, Abraham supported using the anti-malaria drug hydroxychlorquine and anti-parasitic ivermectin against the virus.