United States President-elect Joe Biden has nominated Indian-American Dr Vivek Murthy as his Surgeon General. Dr Murthy will be reprising this role after having served in the position from 2014-2017 before being asked to step down by the Trump administration.
President-elect Biden on Monday also revealed the rest of his health team:
- Xavier Becerra – Secretary of Health and Human Services
- Dr Anthony Fauci – Chief Medical Adviser to the President on COVID-19
- Dr Rochelle Walensky – Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Dr Marcella Nunez-Smith – COVID-19 Equity Task Force Chair
"This trusted and accomplished team of leaders will bring the highest level of integrity, scientific rigor, and crisis-management experience to one of the toughest challenges America has ever faced – getting the pandemic under control so that the American people can get back to work, back to their lives, and back to their loved ones," Biden said.
Dr Murthy is a physician, research scientist, and former Vice Admiral in the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. He is currently also the co-chair of Biden’s COVID-19 transition Advisory Board.
Becerra is currently the Attorney General of California as well as a former member of Congress who helped push the passage of the Affordable Care Act. If confirmed, Becerra will be the first Latino to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.
"Containing this coronavirus pandemic and opening our economy responsibly require listening to experts and leaders like the ones we are bringing together on this health care team," Vice President-elect Kamala Harris said.