The US has created a permanent new pandemic agency called the Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy in anticipation of future pandemics and the Decade of Vaccines. President Joe Biden has appointed a retired Air Force general to take charge of spearheading the project.
Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy
On Friday, the White House made an official announcement regarding the establishment of the Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy (OPPR). This newly formed agency will have the important responsibility of formulating strategies to address public health crises, coordinating scientific research and medical initiatives to combat pandemics, and ensuring regular reporting to Congress on its activities.
“This will be a permanent office in the Executive Office of the President charged with leading, coordinating, and implementing actions related to preparedness for, and response to, known and unknown biological threats or pathogens.”
Major General Paul Friedrichs
The newly established office will be led by Retired Air Force Major General Paul Friedrichs, who currently holds the position of special assistant to President Joe Biden and serves as the Senior Director for Global Health Security and Biodefense at the White House National Security Council.
Before this role, Friedrichs served as the joint staff surgeon at the Pentagon, where he provided guidance to the military’s Covid-19 task force.
During a speech in February, Dr. Friedrichs, who had retired from the military in June, took the opportunity to look back on his impressive 37-year career in the Air Force and offered some personal insights. He shared that his family background was deeply connected to military service and resilience.
His father had served in the Navy towards the conclusion of World War II, while his mother had a remarkable history as a Hungarian freedom fighter, whose own parents tragically lost their lives at the hands of the Russians.
Next-Generation Vaccines
According to the New York Times, the Official Pandemic Preparedness and Response (OPPR) is set to be officially established on August 7. Following its establishment, Friedrichs will initiate the process of forming a dedicated team. His primary tasks will involve ensuring that the Strategic National Stockpile is adequately stocked with essential medical supplies and collaborating with Congress to secure funding for bolstering US preparedness initiatives.
In his new position, Dr. Friedrichs holds the authority to supervise and manage domestic biosecurity preparedness. A significant aspect of his role will involve spearheading the development of next-generation vaccines for future pandemics.
Additionally, Dr. Friedrichs will prioritize enhancing surveillance systems to diligently monitor and detect new biological threats as they arise.
Pandemic 2025
The year 2025 seems to have a special importance for global health institutions predicting future pandemics. Multiple pandemic scenarios like Event 201 before COVID-19, are being played out targeting the year 2025.
Catastrophic Contagion
SEERS, a fictional virus, was specifically designed for a simulated pandemic preparedness exercise known as Catastrophic Contagion. This exercise took place in October 2022 and was held in Brussels. The primary objective was to engage public health and government officials in a realistic scenario where they could explore and discuss effective responses to the invented illness.
During the simulated exercise, participants engaged in a series of World Health Organization meetings to strategize and analyze the best course of action to combat the fictional virus, SEERS. The description of the virus in the summary of the event indicated that it had a higher fatality rate than COVID-19 and had a particular impact on children and young people.
The Catastrophic Contagion exercise was conducted in collaboration between Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Health Security, the World Health Organization, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
PERCEPTION RESET 