Deborah Birx facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Deborah Birx
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Birx in 2020
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| White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator | |
| In office February 27, 2020 – January 20, 2021 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Jeff Zients |
| United States Special Representative for Global Health Diplomacy | |
| In office January 20, 2015 – January 20, 2021 |
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| President | Barack Obama Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Eric Goosby Leslie V. Rowe (acting) Elizabeth Jordan (acting) |
| Succeeded by | John Nkengasong |
| 4th United States Global AIDS Coordinator | |
| In office April 4, 2014 – January 20, 2021 |
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| President | Barack Obama Donald Trump |
| Deputy | Mark N. Brown Angeli Achrekar |
| Preceded by | Eric Goosby |
| Succeeded by | John Nkengasong |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Deborah Leah Birx
April 4, 1956 Carlisle, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Spouse | Paige Reffe |
| Relations | Donald Birx (brother) |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Houghton University (BS) Pennsylvania State University (MD) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1980–1994 (reserve) 1994–2008 (active) |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Awards | Legion of Merit |
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Deborah Leah Birx (born April 4, 1956) is an American physician and diplomat. She is an expert in HIV/AIDS immunology, which is the study of how the body fights off diseases. She also researches vaccines and works on global health issues. From 2020 to 2021, she was the White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator under President Donald Trump.
Before that, from 2014 to 2020, Birx was the United States Global AIDS Coordinator. In this role, she helped lead the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) program. This program supports HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention in many countries around the world. She also served as the U.S. special representative for global health diplomacy from 2015 to 2021. In March 2021, Birx joined ActivePure Technologies as a Chief Medical and Science Advisor.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Deborah Birx was born in Pennsylvania. Her father, Donald Birx, was a mathematician and engineer. Her mother, Adele Sparks Birx, taught nursing. Her older brother, Donald Birx, is a university president.
Her family lived in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. As a child, she and her siblings used a shed as a science lab. They did experiments in astronomy, geology, and biology.
Birx was very good at science. In high school, she won third place at a science fair. She later competed in the International Science and Engineering Fair. She finished her last year of high school in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, where she won the Grand Prize at the Capital Area Science Fair.
Birx earned a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from Houghton University in just two years. In 1980, she received her medical degree (Doctor of Medicine) from the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.
Career in Medicine and Public Health
Military Service
From 1980 to 1994, Birx was an officer in the United States Army Reserve. From 1994 to 2008, she served in the regular Army. She reached the rank of Colonel.
Early Medical Work
From 1980 to 1989, Birx worked as a doctor at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. She completed her training in internal medicine and then specialized in clinical immunology. She worked in the lab of Anthony Fauci, a well-known doctor and scientist. Birx started her career focusing on how the body's immune system works, especially in relation to HIV/AIDS vaccine research.
From 1986 to 1989, she also worked at the National Institutes of Health. There, she studied cellular immunology, which is about how cells in the immune system function.
HIV/AIDS Research and Global Health
Birx returned to Walter Reed, where she led the Department of Retroviral Research from 1989 to 1995. She also directed the United States Military HIV Research Program from 1996 to 2005. In this role, she led a major study called RV 144. This study provided the first evidence that a vaccine could help lower the risk of getting HIV.
In March 2020, Birx became a board member of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. This organization works to fight AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria worldwide.
Work at the CDC
From 2005 to 2014, Birx was the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Division of Global HIV/AIDS. This division is part of the CDC's Center for Global Health.
Leading PEPFAR
In January 2014, President Barack Obama chose Birx to be the United States Global AIDS Coordinator for the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) program. The Senate approved her for this role in April 2014.
Her job was to help reach goals set by President Obama to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030. She focused on HIV/AIDS immunology, vaccine research, and global health issues. Birx created a program called DREAMS (Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-free, Mentored and Safe). This program helps reduce HIV infection rates among young women and girls.
On February 27, 2020, Vice President Mike Pence appointed Birx to be the White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator. She worked with the White House Coronavirus Task Force. Pence called her his "right arm" on the task force.
During televised briefings, Birx explained data about the virus. She encouraged people to practice social distancing, which means keeping a safe distance from others. She also tried to avoid publicly disagreeing with President Trump.
Birx helped create a plan for states to safely reopen after coronavirus lockdowns. This plan was presented by President Trump in April 2020. As states began to reopen, Birx continued to advise people to take precautions. She warned individuals to keep social distancing.
In July 2020, a group led by Birx asked hospitals to send all COVID-19 patient information to a database at the United States Department of Health and Human Services. This was done instead of sending it to the CDC. Birx had noted that hospitals and the CDC were slow to collect data. She helped choose a data company called Palantir to help manage the new system.
In August 2020, Birx suggested that people living with someone vulnerable to COVID-19 should consider wearing masks at home. She stated that the United States was in a "new phase" of the epidemic. She described it as "extraordinarily widespread."
Later in 2020, Birx traveled to areas with high virus cases. She worked with state and local officials on mask rules and social distancing. An internal report from Birx in November 2020 strongly recommended that the government ask Americans to wear masks, keep physical distance, and avoid gatherings. She also said that fighting the pandemic needed a strong and balanced approach.
Birx received both praise and criticism for her actions and the task force's responses. Some critics said she downplayed the dangers of the virus. Others questioned her independence because she sometimes praised President Trump.
In December 2020, Birx said she would retire from government after Joe Biden became president. This announcement came after news that she hosted family members from different households for Thanksgiving. She had previously urged Americans to limit such gatherings to their immediate household. Her term ended on January 20, 2021. After leaving her role, Birx said she often thought about quitting. She also stated that her "science-based guidance" was sometimes "censored" by the Trump administration.
In a July 2022 interview, Birx discussed vaccines. She said that vaccines protect against severe illness and hospitalization. She also noted that some older, vaccinated people still died from the Omicron surge. She emphasized that for people over 70, testing and antiviral medicines like Paxlovid are important.
George W. Bush Institute
In March 2021, Birx joined the George W. Bush Institute in Dallas, Texas. As a senior fellow, she works on projects to reduce health differences among people. She also helps prepare for future pandemics.
Personal Life
Deborah Birx lives in a home with her parents, her husband, and the family of one of her daughters. Her husband, Paige Reffe, is a lawyer. He worked in the administrations of Presidents Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton.
Awards and Honors
- 1989: United States Department of Defense, Legion of Merit
- 1991: United States Department of Defense, Meritorious Service Medal, for recombinant gp160 vaccine work
- 2008: Federal Executive Board, Outstanding Manager
- 2011: African Society for Laboratory Medicine, ASLM Lifetime Achievement Award
- 2014: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, William C. Watson Jr. Medal of Excellence
- 2019: International Relations Council, Distinguished Service Award for International Statesmanship
Selected Works and Publications
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- Birx, Deborah. Silent Invasion: The Untold Story of the Trump Administration, Covid-19, and Preventing the Next Pandemic Before It's Too Late. United States, HarperCollins, 2022. ISBN: 978-0063204232
See also
In Spanish: Deborah Birx para niños
