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The organizational setup of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continues to undergo changes after the agency faced public criticism over its COVID-19 response, Bloomberg reported Tuesday.
The changes include the creation of an Office of Public Health Data, Surveillance and Technology and an Office of Health Equity, a person familiar with the matter said, adding that most CDC units will now report directly to the head of the agency, Dr. Rochelle Walensky.
As part of the shake-up, Dr. Walensky will preside over a new leadership team comprising the newly hired Principal Deputy Director Nirav Shah and recently appointed Chief Medical Officer Debra Houry.
Chief Operating Officer Robin Bailey Jr. and Chief of Staff Sherri Berger will be other team members, along with a yet-to-be-named deputy director for global health and chief strategy officer.
Previously reported changes at CDC included the creation of a new division focused on the coronavirus and other respiratory viruses within the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.
Leading COVID-19 vaccine makers: Pfizer (PFE)/ BioNTech (BNTX), Moderna (MRNA), Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), and Novavax (NVAX)
Makers of COVID-19 therapeutics: Gilead (GILD), Pfizer (PFE), Merck (MRK)
Largest U.S. manufacturers of rapid COVID-19 antigen tests: Becton, Dickinson (BDX), Quidel (QDEL), Abbott Laboratories (ABT), Roche (OTCQX:RHHBY) (OTCQX:RHHBF)
The update comes after Dr. Walensky announced plans to overhaul the agency in August, citing its poor response to COVID-19.