Administration officials discuss remdesivir distribution, reopening and testing at Senate HELP hearing

May 12, 2020 - 03:40 PM
COVID19 Web Sized

The federal government continues to learn lessons about distributing COVID-19 therapeutics, such as remdesivir, Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn, M.D., said today at a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing. "This has to be an evidence-based approach — getting the medical therapeutics, vaccines, remdesivir, whichever it happens to be, to the people in need," Hahn said. 

The committee posed questions around reopening, testing and vaccines. Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Anthony Fauci, M.D., said that communities that disregard "the checkpoints that we put in our guidelines about when it is safe to proceed in pulling back on mitigation" may "trigger an outbreak that you may not be able to control." Nursing home and long-term care facility testing and data reporting also were discussed.

Related News Articles

Headline
CDC issues reminder on ending of the emergency authorization for COVID-19 in vitro diagnostics tests
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a reminder Oct. 14 that the declaration supporting the emergency use of COVID-19 in vitro diagnostics…
Headline
HHS seeks feedback on immunization categories in executive order on childhood vaccine schedule
The Department of Health of Human Services Aug. 21 issued a request for information seeking feedback on immunization categories within the Aug. 10 executive…
Headline
CDC reports increase in kindergarten vaccine exemptions
For the 2025-2026 school year, exemptions from one or more vaccines among U.S. kindergartners was at 4.2%, increasing from 3.6% for the previous school year,…
Headline
Study finds COVID-19 can reactivate dormant viruses 
A study published Aug. 5 by Nature found that COVID-19 infection can reactivate dormant, chronic viruses such as Epstein-Barr and cytomegalovirus. The study…
Headline
HHS to end emergency authorization for COVID-19 drugs, medical devices 
The Department of Health and Human Services June 30 announced it will terminate emergency use authorization declarations for certain drugs and medical devices…
Headline
CMS Administrator Oz and Deputy Administrator Brillman discuss agency’s focus on innovation, reducing waste
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz, M.D., and CMS Deputy Administrator and Director of Medicaid and CHIP Dan Brillman sat…