Thread by @DonnaYoungDC

#StPatricksDay: @EnergyCommerce 10amET #COVID19 hearing w/ Fauci, @CDCDirector & #FDA Peter Marks
energycommerce.house.gov/committee-acti…

Senate to advance @XavierBecerra to be #HHS secretary

@HELPCmteDems 12pmET vote on nominations of @vivek_murthy & @SecretaryLevine
help.senate.gov/hearings/nomin…

.@WHCOVIDResponse briefing at 1:30pmET with #NIH Fauci, @CDCDirector Walensky, @aslavitt46, @DrNunezSmith & WH #COVID19 Testing Coordinator Carole Johnson



#COVIDvaccinations #vaccines #CDC

.@EnergyCommerce #COVID19 #vaccines hearing now underway with #NIH Fauci, @CDCDirector Walensky & #FDA's Peter Marks

c-span.org/video/?509831-… #COVIDvaccinations #MaskUp #CDC #VaccineEquity #VaccineHesitancy

Cathy McMorris Rodgers using her opening remarks to praise Trump.

#COVID19 #COVIDvaccinations #MaskUp #CDC

Cathy McMorris Rodgers leaves out the big "IF" on #CDC's guidance for #ReopeningSchools.

CDC's guidelines say schools can open safely only IF the guidelines are followed. That "IF is so often ignored.

#COVID19 #COVIDvaccinations #MaskUp

.@CDCDirector Walensky praises #CDC staff, who "continue to work tirelessly to respond to the #COVID19 #pandemic."

"I am committed to supporting their efforts to ensure that science and evidence drive our path forward."

#COVIDvaccinations #vaccines #MaskUp

.@CDCDirector Walensky: As of March16, more than 110 million doses of #COVID19 #vaccines have been administered. Over 72 million people have received at least one dose, including more than 39 million people who are fully vaccinated.

Remarkable, yet so much more work to do.

#CDC

.@CDCDirector Walensky reiterates that after #H1N1, #Ebola, #Zika "none resulted in the necessary sustained investment in #publichealth infrastructure," creating significant challenges in fight to tackle #COVID19.

Need permanent fixes or public health challenges will persist.

#NIH Fauci says over the coming months, will be working on identification of vulnerable targets in #SARSCoV2 replication cycle, very similar to what was done for drugs to treat #HIV & curative therapies for hepatitis C.

#COVID19 #vaccines #COVIDvaccinations

#NIH Fauci reiterates that work on #COVID19 #vaccines didn't just start in 2020. That R&D was built on decades of research at #NIH, particularly within its Vaccine Research Center.

#COVIDvaccinations #MaskUp

Meanwhile ...

https://twitter.com/SenatePress/status/1372187028281040901

#FDA Peter Marks: #Vaccines will help us in the fight against this pandemic, which has claimed over half a million lives here in the U.S. alone.

#COVID19 #SARSCoV2 #COVIDvaccinations

Peter Marks: All 3 #COVID19 vaccines authorized by FDA for emergency use have surpassed standard of being at least 50% more effective than placebo in preventing COVID-19.
All proved extremely effective at preventing hospitalization/death that result from COVID-19 complications.

.@FrankPallone says his criticism of Trump admin was b/c it left states to do #COVIDvaccinations & testing on their own.

"That was wrong."

Clear, Biden admin sees this as a national strategy.

That was lacking with Trump admin.

#MaskUp #COVID19 #vaccines

.@CDCDirector Walensky: We are working really closely with the states to to scale up vaccination efforts. Working to mobilize trusted messengers, mobilize grants to national organizations to work w/ community/faith based organizations to ensure trusted messengers get to people.

#FDA Peter Marks: Very grateful for the opportunity to do additional work in advanced manufacturing that will help us to prevent being behind the eight ball when we have to scale up for future #pandemics.

#COVID19 #vaccines #COVIDvaccinations #MaskUp

.@CDCDirector Walensky: Having enough #COVID19 #vaccines doses by end of May for all U.S. adults not the only critical important resource to vaccinate: Need vaccinators, places where people can get vaccinated & people willing to roll-up their sleeves.

#COVIDvaccinations #CDC

#FDA Peter Marks on $AZN #COVID19 doses: I do not believe at this time we are at risk of throwing that vaccine out anytime in the near future.

Says FDA doesn't put expiration dates on products under investigation/in drug applications when they are maintained on stability studies

#NIH Fauci: What is keeping me up at night...a respiratory borne virus that has a high degree of capability of spreading & has the capability of causing a high degree of morbidity & mortality.

We are still in the middle of a serious outbreak.

#COVID19 #MaskUp

#NIH Fauci: My concern for future is that we don't have the corporate memory of lessons learned & we don't look at what happened to what's here & things that we need to do in the future to prevent this from happening again.

#COVID19 #SARSCoV2 #MaskUp #vaccines #PublicHealth

.@CDCDirector Walensky: My first job has been to ensure that we had a full review of our guidance & to make sure that the guides that stood on #CDC website was #science based was written by our own scientists.

She notes some guidances from Trump admin were taken down.

#COVID19

#FDA Peter Marks says FDA monitoring & will be analyzing real world evidence on authorized #COVID19 #vaccines to ensure continued protection against variants & looking at trials to see how long people are maintaining their immune response.

#COVIDvaccinations #vaccines

McMorris Rodgers now insisting she knows best on 3-feet distancing for schools versus 6-feet in #CDC's guidelines.

She's insisting 6-feet recommendation in guidelines is hampering #ReopeningSchools.

#MaskUp #COVID19 #vaccines

.@CDCDirector Walensky notes Massachusetts study on 100% mask-wearing, 3-feet distance was OK [again, with 100% mask-wearing].

She notes other ongoing studies.

"We are looking to update our guidance."

Walensky notes she's also a mother.

#ReopeningSchools #MaskUp #COVID19

.@RepAnnieKuster: We all want to try to get back to school. This is not a partisan issue. Everyone wants our children at school. We just want to be safe about it.

#ReopeningSchools #MaskUp #COVID19

.@RepAnnieKuster notes her 34-year-old niece, who was on US ski team, is a #COVID19 long-hauler & nearly a year later has to choose between taking a shower or making dinner. Kuster says happy #NIH studying #COVIDlong.

Fauci notes #NIH has been appropriated $1.15 billion to study #COVIDlong.
"We need to know the extent of this, the percentage & duration.

Commonality of symptoms: profound fatigue, muscle aches, temperature disregulation, unexplainable tachycardia & brain fog.

"Disconcerting"

.@CDCDirector Walensky: #CDC is actively working to support the development of a vaccination program within dialysis centers.

"This is a key high-risk population."

#COVIDvaccinations #COVID19 #vaccines #MaskUp

Meanwhile ...

https://twitter.com/CraigCaplan/status/1372200614822838272

.@CDCDirector Walensky says #publichealth epidemiologists told her their labs are "single-handedly keeping fax machines in business."

"That's not a way that we can effectively address the public health infrastructure."

#COVID19 #COVIDvaccinations #vaccines #MaskUp

#NIH Fauci: It's not only the #LongCOVID. It's also people who have damage to their heart, lungs, kidney. Those are the things we're also concerned about.
Even if they do recover, it almost certainly they're going to have prolongation of dysfunction in multiple organ systems.

#NIH Fauci tells GOP Rep @michaelcburgess that Congress needs to be an example in getting vaccinated for #COVID19.

#COVIDvaccinations #vaccines #MaskUp

GOP Rep @michaelcburgess to @CDCDirector Walensky: "It's nothing but sweetness and light when you get in front of this committee."
🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄

#COVID19 #COVIDvaccinations #vaccines #MaskUp

#NIH Fauci: If we have an outbreak w/ viral dynamic anywhere in the world, it's a threat to everywhere in the world.

Notes Biden rejoined @WHO, pay fair share, joined #COVAX/giving $4B to try get equity among #COVIDvaccinations globally.

US will make vaccine surplus available.

.@CDCDirector Walensky: We have to work as a nation to protect our nation and then we have to work as a globe to protect the globe.

#COVIDvaccinations #COVID19 #vaccines #MaskUp #CDC

.@CDCDirector Walensky: Biden admin put $3 billion into issues related to #healthequity & outreach towards urban & rural centers.
Also, federal pharmacy program looking to double 9,000 pharmacies & targeting hard-to-reach areas, like rural areas.

#COVIDvaccinations #COVID19

.@CDCDirector Walensky: #COVID19 #vaccines supply constraint will diminish in weeks ahead & then "we're really going to need to do the hard work" of getting vaccine in places that it hasn't touched yet.

#COVIDvaccinations #MaskUp

#NIH Fauci says people keep getting hung up on the term "herd immunity," which he said "most of the time is not helpful."

"We really do not know what percentage that really is."

Need to focus on whatever vaccine can get into people will get US closer to protection.

#COVID19

#FDA Peter Marks says in considering how much U.S. surplus supply of #COVID19 #vaccines to ship overseas, must consider if U.S. has sufficient supply in case boosters are needed.

Fauci notes there's a lot of interest about in musosal/intranasal vaccines for respiratory viruses.

Will be 2nd & 3rd generation vaccines. Research already going on but not going to be ready to get #COVID19 #pandemic under control but maybe for later for #SARSCoV2 or other.

Meanwhile ...

https://twitter.com/CraigCaplan/status/1372214597890023425

.@CDCDirector Walensky: We can't be 1 & done as we do this outreach b/c as soon as we get all communities vaccinated, we need to make sure go back & get their children vaccinated for missed childhood vaccines, hypertension & so many other things, like health equity after #COVID19

.@RepMcKinley asks @CDCDirector Walensky if Trump killed 500,000 Americans.

"I think the effect of this #pandemic is multifactorial," Walensky responds.

#COVID19 #vaccines #MaskUp #CDC

.@RepMcKinley insists @POTUS @JoeBiden said everyone should wear masks until everyone is vaccinated for #COVID19.

McKinley notes unlikely everyone will take vaccine.

Fauci says he never heard Biden make any such statement about wearing masks until 100% U.S. vaccinated.

.@RepMcKinley raises #BLM protests.

Fauci: We should abide by the #publichealth measures that we talk about all the time: Avoid congregate settings, wearing masks, washing hands.

Fauci says he's not going to get into justification of who demonstrates or not.

#NIH Fauci tells @RepKimSchrier: We should be literally flooding the system with easily accessible, cheap, not needing a prescription, point-of-care, highly sensitive and highly specific" home #COVID19 tests.

#COVIDvaccinations #MaskUp

.@CDCDirector Walensky: "We will look back at this pandemic & there were many, many reasons why we as a country ill-prepared to tackle the pandemic that resulted in over 500,000 deaths."

@USRepGaryPalmer" That's not an answer" if Trump responsible for 500,000 deaths.

"We're not going to have anymore badgering of the witnesses," @RepDianaDeGette tells @USRepGaryPalmer after he & @RepMcKinley persisted in asking @CDCDirector Walensky if Trump was responsible for deaths of 500,000 Americans from #COVID19.

#MaskUp #CDC

Meanwhile ...

https://twitter.com/CDCgov/status/1372204842672869378

Meanwhile ...

https://twitter.com/CraigCaplan/status/1372220869964087296

Vote ongoing now on advancing nomination of @XavierBecerra as #HHS secretary
c-span.org/video/?509954-…

#FDA #CDC #NIH #pharma #biotech

.@EnergyCommerce Oversight/Investigations Subcommittee hearing on #COVIDvaccinations adjourned.

#MaskUp #COVID19 #vaccines #NIH #CDC #FDA

Meanwhile, @HELPCmteDems advanced the nominations of @vivek_murthy as surgeon general & @SecretaryLevine as #HHS assistant secretary of health.

GOPs Collins, Murkowski, Romney, Cassidy & Marshall voted for Murthy.

Collins & Murkowski also voted in favor of Levine.

.@usedgov Announces #AmericanRescuePlan Funds for All 50 States, Puerto Rico & the District of Columbia to Help #ReopeningSchools

ed.gov/news/press-rel…

Also, $10B coming from #HHS/#CDC to support #COVID19 screening testing for K-12.

Senate votes 50-49 to limit debate & advance the nomination of @XavierBecerra as #HHS secretary.

GOP @SenatorCollins voted in favor with Democrats.

#FDA #NIH #CMS #CDC #pharma #biotech

Meanwhile, @SenatorWarnock now speaking on the Senate floor.
ajc.com/politics/warno… #Georgia

"I love America because we always have a path to make it better -- to build a more perfect union," @SenatorWarnock said on the Senate floor.

#Georgia

.@SenatorWarnock: Because this is America, the 82-year-old hands that used to pick somebody else's cotton went to the polls in January and picked her youngest son to be a United States senator.

#Georgia

.@SenatorWarnock: We are witnessing right now a massive & unabashed assault on voting rights unlike anything we've ever seen since the Jim Crow era.

#Georgia #VotingRights

.@SenatorWarnock: We know what's happening here: Some people don't want some people to vote.

#Georgia #VotingRights

.@SenatorWarnock: They want to make it a crime to bring grandma some water while she's waiting in a line that they're making longer.

#Georgia #VotingRights

.@SenatorWarnock: Make no mistake: This is democracy in reverse.

Rather than voters being able to pick the politicians, the politicians are trying to cherry pick their voters.

#Georgia #VotingRights

Meanwhile ...

https://twitter.com/CraigCaplan/status/1372233258226814977

.@SenatorWarnock: There should be 100 votes in this chamber for policies to make it easier for Americans to make their voices heard in our democracy.
Surely ought to be at least 60 who believe as I do the 4 most powerful words uttered in a democracy are "The people have spoken."

Meanwhile: Wall Street firms are quietly preparing to resume their political contributions & ending the freeze they imposed after Trump's domestic terrorist mob attacked U.S. Capitol.

It's barely been two months & they've already forgotten #Jan6.

bloomberg.com/news/articles/…

Up soon at 1:30pmET, .@WHCOVIDResponse briefing with #NIH Fauci, @CDCDirector Walensky, @aslavitt46, @DrNunezSmith & WH #COVID19 Testing Coordinator Carole Johnson



#COVID19 #COVIDvaccinations #vaccines

House members could get a coronavirus vaccine. But a quarter of them have not. washingtonpost.com/politics/house… @washingtonpost

#COVID19 #COVIDvaccinations #vaccines

.@aslavitt46 says under @POTUS @JoeBiden's direction, #HHS issued the order to formally direct states, tribes & territories to make all adults eligible for #COVID19 #vaccines no later than May 1.

#COVIDvaccinations #MaskUp

.@DrNunezSmith says Biden admin is working to improve access to the 3 monoclonal antibodies authorized by #FDA for emergency use to treat #COVID19.

For all Americans, these treatments for #COVID19 are free & cost to administer covered by Medicare/Medicaid & most insurance.

.@DrNunezSmith says Biden admin has new a $150 million agreement to make monoclonal antibody treatments available to any individual in any community who meets the clinical criteria can have access to those therapeutics.

#COVID19 #vaccines #MaskUp

WH #COVID19 Testing Coordinator Carole Johnson notes today's @usedgov & #HHS/#CDC announcements on assistance from #AmericanRescuePlan for #ReopeningSchools & #COVID19 testing

ed.gov/news/press-rel…

.@CDCDirector Walensky: #COVID19 cases continue to hover around 50,000 to 55,000 cases per day.

Deaths from COVID-19 are averaging slightly more than 1100 per day.

#COVIDvaccinations #MaskUp #CDC

.@CDCDirector Walensky also announces updates to #COVID19 testing guidances cdc.gov/coronavirus/20… #CDC #Maskup

.@CDCDirector Walensky said new #CDC $2.25 billion grants to #publichealth departments to address #COVID19 health disparities and advance health equity among people are at high risk and underserved. Large component to focus on strategies to improve testing/contact tracing.

#NIH Fauci: Bottom line: The vaccines work in the real world.

#COVID19 #vaccines #COVIDvaccinations #MaskUp

Q: Will new guidances open the door for schools to use the rapid tests more easily in asymptomatic students?

Carole Johnson: #CDC put out guidances/resources but more work to do. Seen creative work around CLIA waivers.
#FDA making it easier authorize asymptomatic screening test

Q: Vaccinating children?

#NIH Fauci notes some "bridging" studies started looking at safety & immunogenicity. Will know answers in fall. $MRNA just started its de-escalation study in kids.

No biological reason to see any modification of the genetic profile w/ mRNA.

Carole Johnson on #COVID19 schools testing program: We are closely monitoring supply & expect for some of the efforts to onshore supply will start to dovetail with the increases associated with the screening testing.

Intent is not to disrupt current relationships/programs.

.@CDCDirector Walensky says new testing guidelines are "quite extensive compared to prior."
Expansion of the description of the kinds of tests, how to choose a test, intended use of individual tests, addition of health equity/equitable distribution to ensure rapid turnaround.

.@SenatorWarnock's full speech here:

https://twitter.com/SenatorWarnock/status/1372230275330101251

#Georgia #VotingRights

Meanwhile ...

https://twitter.com/Mdixon55/status/1371950952488476672

#COVID19 #COVIDvaccnations #MaskUp

Details of Biden admin's $2.25 billion grants program for #publichealth departments to address #COVID19 health disparities, including for increased testing that @CDCDirector Walensky talked about at today's briefing
cdc.gov/publichealthga…

#HealthDisparities #HealthEquity #CDC

Were the questions by @RepMcKinley & @USRepGaryPalmer to @CDCDirector Walensky at today's @EnergyCommerce hearing about whether Trump is responsible for 500,000 American #COVID19 deaths aimed at building some sort of defense for Trump if he's ever held liable for his neglect?

#HHS PR discussed at today's briefing by @DrNunezSmith on monoclonal antibodies: Biden Administration to Invest $150 Million to Expand Access to #COVID19 Treatments in Underserved Communities hhs.gov/about/news/202… $LLY $REGN

#HHS PR on $12.25 billion to expand #COVID19 testing & #CDC jurisdiction allocation table for funding hhs.gov/about/news/202… #ReopeningSchools

.@usedgov details of March 24 #ReopeningSchools summit @SecCardona outlined at today's @WhiteHouse briefing ed.gov/news/press-rel…

Cardona says teachers learn best from teachers, students learn best from students & states learn best from states on best practices.

#COVID19

.@PressSec Psaki: We are still in the midst of fighting the war against the pandemic right here.

She acknowledges U.S. has received requests from Canada & Mexico for #COVID19 #vaccines doses & wants to contribute to global effort. But vaccinating U.S. remains top priority.

.@PressSec Psaki: @POTUS @JoeBiden's/his administration's relationship with the Russians will be very different from what we've seen over the last four years and we've already seen evidence of that.

.@PressSec Psaki says "no question" the damaging rhetoric from Trump admin, like "Wuhan virus" & other inaccurate/unfair remarks elevated the threats against Asian-Americans & "we're seeing that around the country."

.@PressSec Psaki: We have not yet provided vaccine doses to any country. We of course have a range of requests and a number of requests and we will consider those carefully.

#COVID19 #vaccines