Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Walensky's Surprise Exit Just The First Of Several Changes Coming To CDC
Politico: CDC Head Resigns, Blindsiding Many Health Officials
Rochelle Walensky gave no specific reason for the decision to resign, writing that “at this pivotal moment for our nation and public health, having worked together to accomplish so much over the last two-plus years, it is with mixed emotions that I will step down.” Walensky touted the administration’s Covid response, the CDC’s decision to declare racism a serious public health threat and its efforts to contain mpox among the accomplishments on her watch. (Mahr and Cancryn, 5/5)
The Hill: Five Key Moments From Walensky’s Tenure At CDC
“I took on this role, at your request, with the goal of leaving behind the dark days of the pandemic and moving CDC — and public health — forward into a much better and more trusted place,” Rochelle Walensky said in a statement. (Choi, 5/5)
WGME: US CDC Head Steps Down, Dr. Shah Could Be Next In Line
Dr. Nirav Shah, who was Maine CDC Director throughout the pandemic, is second in command at the U.S. CDC. Shah left Maine for that position earlier this year. (Bourgault, 5/5)
More changes are ahead at the CDC —
Stat: CDC To Cut Back On Covid Data It Collects
The ending of the public health emergency for Covid-19 will force the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to cut back on the data it collects to analyze how much illness the SARS-CoV-2 virus is causing in the future, the CDC announced Friday. But some of the data metrics the CDC will no longer be able to collect are of lesser value now than they were at earlier points in the pandemic, agency officials explained in a press briefing Thursday in advance of Friday’s release of two articles in the CDC’s online journal Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report that detailed the changes. (Branswell, 5/5)
CIDRAP: CDC Details Transitions In COVID-19 Data Reporting
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) [on Friday] spelled out its plan for collecting and reporting COVID-19 data once the national public health emergency (PHE) expires on May 11, which will focus less on case rates and lean more heavily on hospital and death data. At a media briefing yesterday, Nirav Shah, MD, JD, the CDC's principal deputy director, said, "We have the right data for this phase of COVID-19." (Schnirring, 5/5)
