Health officials from HHS, the CDC and the National Institutes of Health met with House leaders Dec. 4 to discuss emergency preparedness for flu season.
A House Energy and Commerce subcommittee convened the hearing to assess the current forecast for this flu season, federal efforts to mitigate illnesses, and ongoing research into new flu vaccines and treatments.
Topics of discussion included common reasons the general public does not opt to get a flu vaccine; the importance of supporting local health departments to track flu data; and the U.S.'s domestic manufacturing capacity for flu vaccines, medications and other supplies in case of a flu pandemic.
The following health officials testified at the hearing:
- Nancy Messonnier, MD, director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases
- Anthony Fauci, MD, director of NIH's National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases
- Robert Kadlec, MD, assistant secretary for preparedness and response for HHS
- Peter Marks, MD, PhD, director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research