A: Yes! We love lifting up the tireless work of female clinicians and scientists in this pandemic, and we are delighted to share a little bit about Dr. Sara Oliver, a member of the CDC’s Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS).
Sara Oliver, MD, MSPH is an EIS Officer at the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD). As one of the many heroes and heroines at the CDC, Dr. Oliver played a crucial role in the recent meetings of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the CDC committee that provides public health recommendations around vaccinations in the U.S.
Aside from the details of the meeting (see other posts below for info), Dr. Oliver led multiple discussions on the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and recommendations for phased vaccine distribution.
We LOVED Dr. Oliver’s clear communication style, thoughtful answers to questions, and incredible command of such vast information. The team at the ACIP has been working diligently to evaluate data on the vaccine trials and consider recommendations for vaccinations and distribution, and we just want to say THANK YOU to Dr. Oliver and her colleagues.
Dr. Oliver’s work with the EIS spanned across several areas of public health response – you can read more at the article below from her alma mater, The University of Alabama at Birmingham.
With all the excitement of newly authorized vaccines for COVID-19, it is easy to forget the hours of careful consideration and deep discussion that heroines like Dr. Oliver have been putting in for months. We are lucky to have her at the helm of these important public meetings and all of her work behind the scenes!
If you have a pandemic hero or heroine to share, please let us know in the comments! We could all use more stories of the unsung folks who give us hope in these tough times.
Stay safe, stay sane,
Those Nerdy Girls
Dear Pandemic Post on 12/12 ACIP Meeting
Dear Pandemic Post on CDC Vaccine Phases
