WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — With more than one million deaths in the U.S. because of COVID-19, Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio.) says the U.S. must be prepared for future pandemics.
“Sadly, this likely will not be the last pandemic,” Wenstrup said. “We must establish clearly defined roles with an overarching structure that empowers agencies to act swiftly and effectively in mitigating the spread of novel viruses.”
Rep. John Joyce (R-Penn.) says different sectors of the government made questionable decisions, not based in science.
“It fractures the trust between the American people and our public health leaders,” Joyce said.
Rep. Ami Bera (D-Calif.) says the government needed to adapt as new information about the virus came down.
“As we gain more information, we should have fed that back into strategies,” Bera said.
Health officials agreed with lawmakers that mandates at the height of COVID-19 severely impacted the relationship between doctors and patients.
“It’s very important for the patient or the person receiving that medical intervention. A vaccine, for example, have that strong relationship with their provider so they have the medical advice that they need,” Dr. Henry Walke, CDC readiness and response director, said.
The CDC says having U.S. Health officials in other countries can help prevent future pandemics from reaching our shores.
“Our staff can work closely with ministries of health to, to detect that, outbreak and then to try to rapidly control and control the outbreak at its source,” Walke said.
Health officials also emphasized the importance of strengthening the supply chain to prevent drug shortages.
