Rochelle Walensky facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rochelle Walensky
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Official portrait, 2021
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| 19th Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention | |
| In office January 20, 2021 – June 30, 2023 |
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| President | Joe Biden |
| Deputy | Anne Schuchat Debra Houry (acting) Nirav D. Shah |
| Preceded by | Robert Redfield |
| Succeeded by | Mandy Cohen |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Rochelle Paula Bersoff
April 5, 1969 Peabody, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Spouse |
Loren D. Walensky
(m. 1995) |
| Children | 3 |
| Parent | Edward H. Bersoff (father) |
| Education | Washington University in St. Louis (BA) Johns Hopkins University (MD) Harvard University (MPH) |
Rochelle Walensky (born April 5, 1969) is an American doctor and scientist. She was the 19th director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). She led the CDC from 2021 to 2023. The CDC is a very important government agency. It works to protect public health and safety.
Before leading the CDC, Dr. Walensky was a top doctor at Massachusetts General Hospital. She also taught medicine at Harvard Medical School. She is well-known for her work on HIV/AIDS.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Rochelle Paula Bersoff was born in Peabody, Massachusetts. She grew up in Potomac, Maryland. She finished high school in 1987.
In 1991, she earned a degree in biochemistry and molecular biology. This was from Washington University in St. Louis. She then went to Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. She became a medical doctor (M.D.) in 1995.
Dr. Walensky trained in internal medicine at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Later, she studied infectious diseases. In 2001, she earned a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree. This degree focused on how to improve health care.
Academic Career
Dr. Walensky joined Harvard Medical School in 2001. She became a professor there in 2012. From 2017 to 2020, she led the infectious diseases division. This was at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Her research focused on improving HIV/AIDS care. She studied how to make HIV screening better. She also looked at health policies. Dr. Walensky has written many articles about HIV policy.
Understanding COVID-19
In November 2020, Dr. Walensky wrote a paper about COVID-19 vaccines. She and her co-authors explained key factors for a vaccine's success:
- How fast the vaccine is made and given to people.
- If people are willing to get vaccinated.
- How serious the pandemic is when the vaccine arrives.
Leading the CDC
Joe Biden announced Dr. Walensky would lead the CDC in December 2020. Many doctors and health experts supported this choice. She became the CDC director on January 20, 2021.
During her time at the CDC, she faced many challenges. One big challenge was the COVID-19 pandemic.
On August 3, 2021, she extended a ban on evictions. This ban stopped landlords from removing tenants. It was meant to help people during the pandemic. The ban applied to areas with high COVID-19 spread. However, the U.S. Supreme Court later said this extension was not allowed. They ruled that only Congress could make such a law.
As the Omicron variant spread, CDC staff felt very tired. Dr. Walensky tried to reorganize the team. She wanted to make the CDC's response better.
In January 2022, she talked about criticisms of her first year. Some people said the CDC's advice was confusing. This included guidance on quarantine and masks. Dr. Walensky said that decisions were made with the best available information. She also noted that clear messages, like "Wear a mask," were not always followed.
On January 26, 2022, she spoke about the Omicron variant. She warned that "milder does not mean mild." She urged people to keep following safety rules. She reminded everyone that hospitals were still under strain.
In April 2022, Dr. Walensky announced a review of the CDC. This was to see how the agency handled the pandemic. On August 17, 2022, she said the CDC needed to improve. She admitted it had not responded fast enough to the coronavirus.
Dr. Walensky tested positive for COVID-19 on October 22, 2022.
She made some comments about a past study involving African-American men. She later clarified her words. She tweeted that she reflected on the study. She said the men's pain and sacrifice should never be forgotten.
On May 5, 2023, Dr. Walensky announced she would leave the CDC. Her last day was June 30, 2023. This happened as the U.S. government was ending its COVID-19 health emergency.
Personal Life
Dr. Walensky is married to Loren D. Walensky. He is also a doctor and scientist. They have three sons. Their family is Jewish. They are members of a temple in Newton, Massachusetts.
Selected Works and Publications
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