CDC Head Will Roll Out Sweeping Changes to Handle Emergencies
After a nearly yearlong review of the CDC's pandemic response, Rochelle Walensky prepares to shake up its operations and culture.
CDC Director Rochelle Walensky
Photographer: Stefani Reynolds/The New York TimesCenters for Disease Control and Prevention chief Rochelle Walensky is preparing to roll out sweeping changes at the agency after it endured a barrage of criticism for its delayed and inconsistent response to the pandemic.
The CDC director will require all employees to be ready to deploy to combat national health crises, marking a drastic shift from a fragmented volunteer system that hampered its Covid-19 response, according to Walensky and other top CDC leadership who previewed a series of measures the agency will implement to better prepare for emergencies. Others include elimination of management layers, elevation of laboratory sciences and the possible formation of a CDC unit dedicated to coronaviruses within its immunizations and respiratory disease arm.