The CDC, a $9.2 billion-a-year agency tasked with reviewing life-saving vaccines, monitoring diseases and watching for budding threats to Americans’ health, is without a clear leader.

On the day the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a pandemic, Koloud “Kay” Tarapolsi reflected the views of many people when she told an Associated Press reporter: “If we avoid each other and listen to the scientists, maybe in a few weeks it will be better."

Dr. Robert Redfield, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said he expects another coronavirus variant will form in the next three to 12 months and that it will be even more transmissible than the omicron variant.

At the same time, more than 4 million residents with certain disabilities or health concerns become eligible for a vaccine. Set in motion over one year, that's warp-speed spending in a capital known for gridlock, ugly argument and now an episode of violent insurrection. At one turn after another, that may be the rhetorical question of these COVID-19 times. The U.S. reached a total of 3,000 COVID-19 deaths even before March 2020 was out. By December, the country was experiencing the toll of 9/11 day after day after day.

Walensky, 51, an infectious-diseases specialist at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, is expected to become CDC director after Biden is inaugurated. Redfield kept a low profile during his first two years in office after being appointed by the Trump administration in 2018. Much of that has to do with cycles of funding for the national public health system that rise in reaction to a crisis and then fall, hurting efforts to prevent the next crisis. Last week, Biden said he would ask for $160 billion for vaccinations and other public health programs, including an effort to expand the public health workforce by 100,000 jobs. Georgetown's Westmoreland called for a law or other measure to prohibit political appointees from having editorial review of CDC science and to ban them from controlling when the agency releases information.

Trump administration political appointees tried to block or change more than a dozen government reports that detailed scientific findings about the spread of the coronavirus, according to a House panel investigating the alleged interference. New York political operative and Trump loyalist Michael Caputo was installed as the department's top spokesman during a period of high tension between White House officials and Azar. — Intensely challenged articles that detailed scientific findings on the spread of COVID-19 among children. The HHS public affairs office that Caputo once headed “is not a science or medical program office," wrote Hall. Redfield responded at the time that he had told CDC staffers to ignore Alexander's email, and that he is fully committed to maintaining the independence of the MMWR health reports.

Fewer middle and high school students are using tobacco this year than last year. That’s according to a newly released government health study, which found those decreases are driven by fewer younger people using e-cigarettes, cigars and smokeless tobacco. The study found nearly one in four high school students, or 3.65 million of them, were current tobacco users in 2020. For the seventh consecutive year, researchers found that e-cigarettes were the most commonly used tobacco product among both middle and high school students. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said while the decreased use of tobacco is a win, there are still nearly 4.6 million young people using tobacco products.

(AP Photo/David Goldman, File)NEW YORK – Deciding that health care workers and nursing home residents should be first in line for the initial, limited supplies of COVID-19 shots wasn’t that hard a call. If essential workers are indeed next up, states already have different ideas about who among them should be closer to the front of the line. Redfield declined to say if he would prioritize senior citizens over essential workers even if the panel recommended the reverse. Most states followed the panel's recommendation that health care workers and nursing home residents get the very first doses. Utah said long-term care residents should be in line behind health care workers, instead of sharing the front with them.

At issue is what happened last summer to an email sent to the CDC from a now-departed HHS adviser, Dr. Paul Alexander. She said she was ordered to delete it the following day, a Sunday. Kent testified that she believed the order to delete the email came from Redfield. Redfield said Thursday in a statement that “regarding the email in question, I instructed CDC staff to ignore Dr. Alexander’s comments. “I considered this to be very unusual,” she said, according to the partial transcript released by Clyburn.

“Let them steal Georgia again, you’ll never be able to look yourself in the mirror,” Trump told rallygoers. The Jan. 5 Senate runoffs in Georgia will determine the balance of power in Washington after Biden takes office. Democrats need a Georgia sweep to force a 50-50 Senate and position Vice President-elect Kamala Harris as the tiebreaking vote. Trump pulled out a piece of paper and read a list of his electoral achievements, including falsely asserting he won Georgia and the White House. Hours before the event, Trump asked Georgia Gov.

State health officials decline to identify which hospitals have expressed interest, but say there is need statewide. Hospitalizations have not yet reached their summer heights in Georgia, but beds are filling rapidly with COVID-19 cases. ___HARRISBURG, Pa. — States faced a deadline on Friday to place orders for the coronavirus vaccine as many reported record infections, hospitalizations and deaths. Ukraine, which is facing a rapid rise in coronavirus cases, tightened weekend restrictions last month but lifted them this week. ___ATLANTA — Vice President Mike Pence is trying to boost Americans’ confidence in the COVID-19 vaccines that are awaiting regulatory approval and distribution.

Poultry is a major part of Arkansas’ economy, and nearly 6,000 poultry workers have tested positive for the virus since the pandemic began, according to the state Health Department. Keeping health care workers on their feet is considered vital to dealing with the crisis. Patients and staff members at nursing homes and other long-term care centers account for 39% of the nation’s COVID-19 deaths. The Illinois plan gives highest priority to health care workers but also calls for first responders to be in the first batch to get the shot. Utah officials said frontline health care workers will take top priority, with the five hospitals treating the most COVID-19 patients getting the first doses.

The Education Ministry says about 493,430 students began taking the one-day test at about 1,380 test sites across South Korea on Thursday. The university from which a South Korean graduates significantly affects job prospects, social standings and even marriage partners. Health care workers, citizens above 65 and people living in care homes will be the first groups to be vaccinated. Redfield says earlier surges in COVID-19 illnesses were concentrated in one area of the country or another, and health care workers and equipment could be shifted from one place to another to deal with it. ___TORONTO — Canada’s health minister says health officials will soon complete a review of the coronavirus vaccine made by Pfizer and BioNTech.

NEW YORK – A group of Democratic lawmakers called on the Trump administration Monday to stop the expulsion of unaccompanied children and other asylum seekers at the U.S. border using emergency powers granted during the coronavirus pandemic. “Clearly, expulsions lack a public health rationale, and the U.S. government is fully capable of receiving and placing unaccompanied children and asylum seekers while also protecting public health,” said the letter, signed by 58 lawmakers. The CDC’s order covers the U.S. borders with both Mexico and Canada, but has mostly affected the thousands of asylum seekers and immigrants arriving at the southern border. Public health experts had urged the administration to focus on a national mask mandate, enforce social distancing and increase the number of contact tracers to track down people exposed to the virus. In their letter, the lawmakers say the order endangers children, including by exposing them to risks such as human trafficking.

___CARSON CITY, Nev. — Nevada topped 100,000 total coronavirus cases on Saturday. There’s been more than 15,000 cases and 81 confirmed deaths, according to the state Department of Health and Social Services. ___ATHENS, Greece — Greece surpassed 2,000 coronavirus cases for the first time since the start of the pandemic. The total confirmed coronavirus cases reached 39,251 and 626 deaths. Germany’s total cases since the pandemic started has increased to 518,753 and its death toll to 10,452.

NEW YORK – Federal health officials on Friday issued new rules that will enable large cruise ships to start sailing again in U.S. waters, though not immediately. In mid-March, the CDC ordered cruise ships to stop sailing to U.S. ports because several outbreaks convinced officials that the vessels were potential cauldrons of infection. To resume carrying passengers, the companies have to demonstrate they have procedures for testing, quarantining and isolating passengers and crew. But at least 19 outbreaks were identified on cruise ships between mid-March and mid-April, the new CDC order noted. The CDC document is “an important step toward returning our ships to service from U.S. ports,” said Kelly Craighead, the trade group's president.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville’s mask mandate due to expire Tuesday has been extended through Thanksgiving, according to city officials. It must be renewed every 30 days by Mayor Lenny Curry or it will expire. I’m just going to back away ... and give you my 6 feet," Scott told him. Jacksonville Dr. Sunil Joshi said that with flu season here, this would have been the worst time to end the mask mandate. He said for those with “mask fatigue” -- wearing a mask could help ensure good hospital treatment for other emergencies.

With the nation’s COVID-19 death toll at 200,000, President Donald Trump is engaged in an ongoing war against his administration’s own scientists. The Trump vs. science dynamic has been evident from the very beginning. White House officials say Atlas no longer supports it. The White House has realized there is a downside to publicly undermining science. Officials recognize voter concerns about speeding the vaccine production timetable as an emerging public health crisis too.

___WASHINGTON — The White House is urging U.S. governors to put politics aside and help the Trump administration promote future coronavirus vaccines as safe and effective. Trump has escalated his promise for a coronavirus vaccine before Election Day. ___ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey’s president, who has long called for a reform of the United Nations, said the world body has failed in its response to the coronavirus pandemic. ___BOISE, Idaho — Idaho school districts vary widely when it comes to letting the public know about coronavirus cases in classrooms. Greek authorities say the fire was started by residents angry at a lockdown order after 35 COVID-19 cases were recorded at Moria.

In this Aug. 31, 2020 file photo, President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference in the James Brady Press Briefing Room in Washington. Most Americans are deeply pessimistic about the direction of the country and skeptical of President Donald Trumps handling of the coronavirus pandemic. And as the nation nears 200,000 deaths from the coronavirus pandemic, just 39% of Americans approve of Trump's handling of the health crisis. Americans have a more favorable views of public health officials, as they have throughout the pandemic. Public health officials say transmission rates are higher indoors versus outdoors.

A mask might provide better protection against COVID-19 than an approved vaccine, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Robert Redfield said during a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing Wednesday. The director of the CDC was also forced to defend his agency, saying the CDC will follow the science and will not be persuaded by politics. Redfield, did anyone at the CDC advise President (Donald) Trump to downplay this crisis?" On COVID-19 contact tracing, the CDC director said the U.S. needs a public health workforce of 30,000 to 100,000 people — something that’s being worked on. As part of a plan to make vaccines for COVID-19 available to all Americans, the vaccine itself will be free of charge.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. The federal government has told states to prepare for a coronavirus vaccine to be ready to distribute by Nov. 1. The CDC also sent three planning documents to some health departments that included possible timelines for when vaccines would be available. It also states that initially available vaccines will either be approved by the Food and Drug Administration or authorized by the agency under its emergency powers. Several public health experts pointed out that final stage trials of experimental vaccines are still recruiting, and are at best halfway through that process. "It gives the appearance of a stunt rather than an expression of public health concern, Hotez said.

In the study released Friday, CDC researchers collaborated with health officials in six states as well as genetics researchers and disease modelers in the Seattle area. Only later did health officials realize the virus could spread before symptoms show up, rendering symptom-based screening imperfect. Until late February, coronavirus infections were too rarely diagnosed by emergency departments to be identified as a growing epidemic, the study found. But limited spread in some communities was occurring in late January and early February, the study found. A separate study, released Friday by the journal Science, focused on the virus's beginning in New York City, which was hit hard by the virus.

The director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned a second wave of the coronavirus this year could be worse because it will coincide with flu season. "There's a possibility that the assault of the virus on our nation next winter will actually be even more difficult than the one we just went through," CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield said in an interview with The Washington Post. "And when I've said this to others, they kind of put their head back, they don't understand what I mean." Redfield told the Post that having two respiratory outbreaks would burden the health care system. He had previously warned that the United States will feel the impact of the virus in months and years ahead, telling CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta in February that the virus “is probably with us beyond this season, beyond this year.”

Health experts continue to caution Americans to practice social distancing and to avoid returning to their normal activities. President Donald Trump said that while he knows workers are “going stir crazy” at home, he can't predict when the threat from the virus will wane. ”At some point, he said at his daily briefing, social distancing guidelines will disappear and people will be able to sit together at sports events. Under the new guidelines for essential workers, the CDC recommends that exposed employees take their temperatures before their shifts, wear face masks and practice social distancing at work. Trump's predecessor, Barack Obama, chimed in with a cautionary tweet from the sidelines, writing: “Social distancing bends the curve and relieves some pressure on our heroic medical professionals.

Health experts continue to caution Americans to practice social distancing and to avoid returning to their normal activities. President Donald Trump said that while he knows workers are “going stir crazy” at home, he can't predict when the threat from the virus will wane. ”At some point, he said at his daily briefing, social distancing guidelines will disappear and people will be able to sit together at sports events. Under the new guidelines for essential workers, the CDC recommends that exposed employees take their temperatures before their shifts, wear face masks and practice social distancing at work. Trump's predecessor, Barack Obama, chimed in with a cautionary tweet from the sidelines, writing: “Social distancing bends the curve and relieves some pressure on our heroic medical professionals.

ATLANTA, Ga. - Most Americans have never been tested for HIV, the virus that attacks and weakens a person's immune system. According to a new report, the agency found that fewer than 40% of people in the United States have been screened for HIV. And fewer than 30% of people across the country with the highest risk of acquiring HIV were tested in that period. "As we encourage those at risk for HIV to seek care, we need to meet them in their journey. For those who have tested positive for HIV, the CDC recommends seeking immediate treatment.