White House Appoints Gerald Parker to Lead Pandemic Preparedness Office
The Trump administration has selected Gerald Parker, a veterinarian and former top US health and security official, to head the White House Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy.
Parker has extensive experience in global health, national security, and pandemic preparedness, spanning over three decades in the federal government. He will serve as the office's director, established by Congress in 2022 as the COVID-19 pandemic began to subside.
Parker has held various positions, including Commander at the US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at the Department of Health and Human Services. Most recently, he was the Associate Dean for Global One Health at Texas A&M's College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.
In his new role, Parker will provide guidance on the ongoing bird flu outbreak, which has affected at least 66 people and resulted in one fatality in Louisiana. The H5N1 virus poses a significant public health concern.
The White House has yet to comment on Parker's appointment, which was first reported by CBS News.