Two FDA Leaders Step Down, CDC Issues Travel Warning

Two senior leaders with the FDA have stepped down. The retirements of Dr. Marion Gruber, Director of the Office of Vaccines Research and review at the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research and Dr. Philip Krause deputy  Director of the Office come while the agency is working toward important decisions regarding the Covid-19 vaccine and booster shots. In an email sent to employees, it was announced that Gruber’s retirement will begin October 31st and Krause will depart from the agency in November.

Also in Coronavirus news, the CDC is recommending non vaccinated people to refrain from travelling during Labor Day weekend. According to data from Johns Hopkins University, the U.S. is surpassing an average of 160,000 new Coronavirus cases per day. In a briefing with the White House Covid-19 response team, CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said that while people who are vaccinated can travel with precautions, current transmission rates mean they should also take Covid-19 risks into consideration when planning their trips. According to the CDC, 38.6% of Americans 12-years and older who are eligible for vaccinations are not yet fully vaccinated.