The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic has reached out to Mandy Cohen, the newly appointed director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), seeking answers about the federal government’s approach to a COVID-19 vaccine campaign in the upcoming fall season. Subcommittee Chairman Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio), in a letter to Cohen, cited a recent interview the director gave to Spectrum News as the reason for the request.
During the interview, Cohen stated that COVID-19 may become similar to flu shots, requiring an annual vaccination. Wenstrup expressed uncertainty about the scientific basis for such a recommendation. He emphasized that if the CDC were to make such a suggestion, it would signify a major shift in federal policy regarding COVID-19 vaccines.
As a result, Wenstrup asked Cohen to provide the subcommittee with relevant documents and communications regarding vaccine recommendations, as well as a briefing from the CDC in the following week.
Cohen took on her role as CDC director last month, having previously served as the head of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and worked at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services during the Obama administration. Although Cohen’s appointment did not require Senate confirmation, some Republican lawmakers expressed opposition to her before she assumed the position.
In a letter to President Biden, GOP lawmakers, including Reps. Chip Roy (Texas), Byron Donalds (Fla.), Debbie Lesko (Ariz.), and Sens. Ted Cruz (Texas), Mike Lee (Utah), and J.D. Vance (Ohio), stated their belief that Cohen was unsuitable to lead the CDC. Their criticisms centered around Cohen’s support for COVID-19 vaccinations, mask-wearing, and viral mitigation methods in schools. They also argued that she was too left-wing to lead a nonpartisan agency.
One of Cohen’s primary responsibilities as CDC director will be overseeing a fall vaccine campaign against COVID-19. Both Moderna and Pfizer have recently sought authorization from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for their updated shots, offering protection against the XBB.1.5 Omicron subvariant, which currently accounts for around 20% of coronavirus cases in the U.S.
Even prior to the end of the public health emergency (PHE) related to the pandemic, health officials anticipated a shift towards annual COVID-19 immunizations, similar to the administration of annual flu shots. Anthony Fauci, former chief medical adviser to the president, stated last year that unless new variants emerge, the U.S. is likely to adopt annual COVID-19 shots tailored to the circulating strains for most of the population.
Vaccine enthusiasm has significantly declined since the initial availability of COVID-19 shots in late 2020. The CDC ceased updating vaccine administration data at the end of the PHE in May, with only 17% of the U.S. population having received booster shots at that time.
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