Who's Who

Last update: Sunday 1/1/23
This news page lists the most important players heading the most important agencies involved in the management of the U.S. coronavirus endemic. In other words, it lists the people and the agencies whose names busy health conscious readers are likely to encounter most often in the media. However, its brief overview is neither broad enough nor deep enough to satisfy the interests of researchers or healthcare professionals.

Note: Alerts about updates to this reference page are posted on this blog's @neoskeptics Twitter account from time to time. Updates are highlighted (yellow) or printed in bold (red).

A. Plans | B. Agents | C. NIAID | D. FDA | E. CDC | F. ASPR | G. NonGovt. 


A. President's Plans 
President Biden has announced three plans to manage the pandemic:
  • "National Strategy for the COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness", President Joseph R. Biden, 1/21/21
  • "President Biden Announces New Actions to Protect Americans Against the Delta and Omicron Variants as We Battle COVID-⁠19 this Winter", President Biden, The White House, 12/2/21
  • "National COVID-⁠19 Preparedness Plan", White House, 3/2/22  
B. Administrative agents
The implementation of President Biden's plans is managed by the following agents:
  • White House COVID-⁠19 Response Coordinator
    -- Position established by Executive Order on 1/21/21
    -- "... advise and assist the President and executive departments and agencies in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic; coordinate all elements of the COVID-19 response; and perform such duties as the President may otherwise direct ..."
    --     Jeff Zients was replaced by Ashish Jha on 4/11/22  

  • White House COVID-19 Response Team
    -- Chaired by COVID-⁠19 Response Coordinator
    -- Coordinates Covid activities of all federal agencies
    -- Replaced President Trump's Coronavirus Task Force
    -- Some well known members include President Biden, Vice President Harris, Dr. Anthony Fauci (NIH/NIAID), Dr. Rochelle Walensky (CDC), and Dr. Vivek Murthy (Surgeon General)
    -- See Wikipedia for other members

  • Guidance ... President Biden issued the following tweet on Wednesday 3/30/22: "Today, I announced a one-stop to get any and everything you need to deal with COVID ... Go to COVID.gov ... All the information is there.",  @POTUS
    -- COVID.gov... most of the pages linked to this launch page are on CDC Web servers.
    -- "    One-stop Test to Treat" (reachable via COVID.gov) implements the initiative announced in the President's "National COVID-⁠19 Preparedness Plan"
The four most important federal agencies with regards to Covid are components of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ==> NIAID, FDA, CDC, and a new agency: ASPR 

Vaccine approval ... See article by NIH for details
  • FDA licenses a vaccine if clinical trials data from its manufacturer demonstrates its safety and effectiveness
  • CDC then recommends use of the licensed vaccine based on additional considerations, such as disease epidemiology, public acceptance, vaccine supply, and cost.

C. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) within HHS 
Mission: "NIAID conducts and supports basic and applied research to better understand, treat, and ultimately prevent infectious, immunologic, and allergic diseases"

D. U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA)
Robert M. Califf M.D, Commissioner
Mission: "The Food and Drug Administration is responsible for protecting the public health by ensuring the safety, efficacy, and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, and medical devices; and by ensuring the safety of our nation's food supply, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation." 

E. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Mission: "CDC works 24/7 to protect America from health, safety and security threats, both foreign and in the U.S. Whether diseases start at home or abroad, are chronic or acute, curable or preventable, human error or deliberate attack, CDC fights disease and supports communities and citizens to do the same."
COVID-19 Home Page ... links to all CDC Covid activity

F.  Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR)
  • "Officials reorganize HHS to boost pandemic response", Dan Diamond, Washington Post, 7/20/22
  • "The Biden administration is elevating a division of H.H.S. to more broadly oversee pandemic", Sheryl Gay Stolberg and Noah Weilan, NY Times, 7/21/22

G. Non-governmental data sources
  • Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) 
    IHME developed and maintains a computer model that has produces the most influential projections of COVID-19 tests, infections, and deaths.
    -- Chris Murray, DPhil, MD, Director
    -- COVID-19 Projections 
  • Johns Hopkins University (JHU)
    Throughout the pandemic JHU's Coronavirus Resource Center has been the authoritative source of data about tests, infections, hospitalizations, deaths, vaccinations, and contact tracing for every nation in the world. 
    -- Coronavirus Resource Center

  • Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF)
    KFF runs the KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor project that produces widely cited surveys that track the public’s attitudes and experiences with COVID-19 vaccinations
    -- KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor

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