CDC Appoints MIT Professor to Lead COVID-19 Working Group
Appointment follows HHS Secretary Kennedy's panel restructuring
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has appointed Retsef Levi, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor of operations management, to lead the agency's COVID-19 working group. The CDC confirmed this appointment on Monday, according to reporting from The Hill. Levi previously expressed concerns about mRNA COVID-19 vaccines in early 2023, recommending their immediate discontinuation.
Levi was among eight new appointments to a CDC advisory group on immunization practices earlier this year. These appointments occurred after Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. removed all previous members of the panel. Kennedy, who was appointed HHS Secretary in the Trump administration, has implemented several changes to federal health advisory committees since taking office.
KEY POINTS
- •MIT professor to lead CDC group
- •HHS Secretary restructured panel
- •Childhood vaccine task force reinstated
The Department of Health and Human Services recently announced the reestablishment of the Task Force on Safer Childhood Vaccines. This federal panel was originally created by Congress to improve the safety, quality, and oversight of vaccines administered to American children. The task force had been inactive prior to its recent reinstatement under the current administration.
National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya issued a statement about the task force's revival, noting that its reestablishment affirms a commitment to scientific rigor and continuous improvement in vaccine development and administration. The statement also referenced the importance of maintaining public trust in the vaccination process. These developments represent significant changes to federal health advisory structures under the current administration.