In an apparent bid to boost readiness against potential biological threats and pandemics, the Biden administration has established a new permanent office, the Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy (OPPR).
The strategic initiative is under the leadership of a member of the National Security Council (NSC).
OPPR’s primary objective, as per a White House briefing, will be “leading, coordinating, and implementing actions related to preparedness for, and response to, known and unknown biological threats or pathogens that could lead to a pandemic or to significant public health-related disruptions in the United States.”
The creation of this office signifies the White House’s active move from an isolated COVID-19 response team to a wider team of experts.
These specialists will tackle an array of potential “public health-related disruptions,” including the common flu’s new variants.
The White House claims that the Biden admin has “taken significant steps to ensure all individuals have continued access to lifesaving protections such as vaccines, treatments, and tests, and that the nation is well prepared to manage the risks of COVID-19 or other causes of potential pandemics in the future.”
Retired Major General Paul Friedrichs, President Biden’s special assistant and the Senior Director for Global Health Security and Biodefense on the NSC, will be the office’s first director.
The establishment of this new office comes three months after President Biden officially terminated the national emergency declaration concerning the pandemic, despite over 1.1 million American fatalities due to COVID since it first made an appearance in the U.S. in early 2020.
Last year, President Biden declared the COVID pandemic “over” in an interview with CBS’s 60 Minutes, stating, “We still have a problem with Covid. We’re still doing a lot of work on it. But the pandemic is over. If you notice, no one’s wearing masks.”
The White House press release further detailed the responsibilities and expectations of the OPPR:
“Major General (ret) Paul Friedrichs will serve as the inaugural Director of OPPR and Principal Advisor on Pandemic Preparedness and Response as of August 7, 2023,” it reads, pointing out Maj. Gen. Friedrichs’ experience as the key factor behind his appointment.
The release highlighted his roles as the Joint Staff Surgeon at the Pentagon and medical advisor to the Department of Defense (DoD) COVID-19 Task Force, asserting these credentials make him the ideal candidate to lead the office.
The release also elaborated on the OPPR’s responsibilities, which include coordinating the administration’s domestic response to potential public health threats, driving federal science and technology efforts related to pandemic preparedness, and providing regular reports to Congress.
As the inaugural director of OPPR and principal advisor on pandemic preparedness and response, Major General Friedrichs is expected to leverage his extensive experience to fulfill these responsibilities.
Dr. Friedrichs’s career spans 37 years.
