President Joe Biden has appointed former Food and Drug Administration (FDA) commissioner David Kessler to take on one of the least enviable yet most important roles of his upcoming administration: overseeing the rollout of COVID vaccines.
Kessler is a longtime FDA vet, physician, and lawyer who oversaw the critical agency from 1990 to 1997. But he has his work cut out for him as the push for widespread COVID vaccination brushes up against logistical uncertainty and an unruly rollout that has already frustrated multiple state leaders and public health officials.
Why Kessler for this highly specialized role, technically dubbed the chief science officer for COVID response? A breadth of experience across the medical industry and regulatory agencies. As a former FDA commissioner and medical school dean, Kessler understands the intricacies of how health systems work with the federal government and has a finger on the pulse of public health messaging. Continue reading.