Watch live: Top health officials testify before Senate panel on U.S. coronavirus response efforts
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The U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies is holding a hearing Wednesday to question top health officials from the Trump administration as the nation prepares to distribute a potential Covid-19 vaccine.
Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary for Health Adm. Brett Giroir and Dr. Robert Kadlec, assistant secretary for preparedness and response, will appear before lawmakers to discuss the country’s Covid-19 response efforts.
Earlier on Wednesday, the federal government rolled out its plans to begin distributing a Covid-19 vaccine to Americans to begin as early as January. HHS and the U.S. Department of Defense, as part of Operation Warp Speed, released a “interim playbook” for states and localities on how to “plan and operationalize a vaccination response.”
“As part of Operation Warp Speed, we have been laying the groundwork for months to distribute and administer a safe and effective Covid-19 vaccine as soon as it meets FDA’s gold standard,” HHS Secretary Alex Azar said in a press release.
Read CNBC’s live updates to see the latest news on the Covid-19 outbreak.