The governor has put together a COVID-19 Vaccine Advisory Group, which will be responsible for advising him on distribution strategies and communicating with residents about vaccines for the coronavirus and the first meeting will be held this evening.
The state Department of Public Health is overseeing the group and meetings are open to the public.
The first meeting is being held virtually.
With the pharmaceutical industry fast-tracking a Covid-19 vaccine, some have questioned whether the public can trust that it is safe. But Former FDA Associate Commissioner Peter Pitts says people can rely on the scientific community to approve a vaccine that can be trusted.
Main Advisory Group
- Co-Chair: Dr. Deidre Gifford, Acting Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Public Health
- Co-Chair: Dr. Reginald J. Eadie, President and CEO of Trinity Health of New England
- Mary Daugherty Abrams, State Senator (D-Meriden, Middlefield, Rockfall, Middletown, Cheshire)
- Jessica Abrantes-Figueiredo, Chief of Infectious Diseases for Saint Francis Hospital
- Stephen Civitelli, Director of Health for the Wallingford Health Department
- Chris DiPentima, President and CEO of the Connecticut Business and Industry Association
- Josh Elliott, State Representative (D-Hamden)
- Tekisha Dwan Everette, Executive Director of Health Equity Connecticut
- Keith Grant, Senior System Director for Infection Prevention for Hartford HealthCare
- Eileen Healy, Executive Director of Independence Northwest for the Connecticut Cross-Disability Lifespan Alliance and Chair of the Connecticut Association of Centers for Independent Living
- Derrick Holloway, Pastor of First Calvary Baptist Church
- Sal Luciano, President of the Connecticut AFL-CIO
- Richard Martinello, Medical Director of Infection Prevention for Yale New Haven Hospital and Yale New Haven Health
- Mag Morelli, President of LeadingAge Connecticut
- Nichelle Mullins, President and CEO of Charter Oak Health Center
- William Petit, State Representative (R-New Britain, Plainville)
- Jason Schwartz, Assistant Professor at the Yale School of Public Health
- Milagrosa Seguinot, President of the Connecticut Community Health Workers Association
- Michelle Seagull, Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection
- Heather Somers, State Senator (R-Griswold, Groton, North Stonington, Plainfield, Preston, Sterling, Stonington, Voluntown)
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Allocation subgroup
- Michael Carius, American College of Emergency Physicians
- Stephen Civitelli, Director of Health for the Wallingford Health Department
- Kerry Clark, UConn Health
- Tekisha Dwan Everette, Executive Director of Health Equity Connecticut
- Lori Fedewa, Director of the Connecticut State Office of Rural Health
- Khuram Ghumman, President of the Hartford County Medical Association
- Tim Klufas, College student
- Suzanne Lagarde, CEO of Fair Haven Community Health Center
- Zita Lazzarini, UConn Health
- Andrew Mais, Commissioner of the Connecticut Insurance Department
- Sara Parker McKernan, New Haven Legal Assistance
- Leslie Miller, President of the Fairfield County Medical Association
- Nichelle Mullins, President and CEO of Charter Oak Health Center
- Neil O’Leary, Mayor of the City of Waterbury
- Regina Rush-Kittle, Deputy Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection
- Marlene Schwartz, President of the UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity
- Michelle Seagull, Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection
- Raymond Sullivan, Director of Health for the Brookfield Health Department
The COVAX facility is a global effort to find, develop and distribute a safe, effective coronavirus vaccine to every country in the world. But the U.S. has declined to participate due to President Trump’s lack of confidence in the World Health Organization. But can an America-first strategy for vaccine development work? The New York Times takes a closer look.
Communications subgroup
- Mary Daugherty Abrams, State Senator (D-Meriden, Middlefield, Rockfall, Middletown, Cheshire)
- Robyn Anderson, Reverend
- Matt Barrett, President and CEO of the Connecticut Association of Health Care Facilities
- John Brady, American Federation of Teachers
- Hector Caraballo, Pastor of Casa de Oracion y Adoracion
- Angel Castellano, Pastor of Smirna Misionera Church
- Yolanda Castillo, Secretary of the Town of Manchester Board of Directors
- Lindsay E. Curtis, Pastor of Grace Baptist Church
- Chris DiPentima, President and CEO of the Connecticut Business and Industry Association
- Tiffany Donelson, President and CEO of Connecticut Health Foundation
- Brad Drazen, Vice President of Communications and Marketing for the Hartford Foundation
- Taylor Edelman, Equipty and Community Engagement Coordinator for Apex Community Ca
- Josh Elliott, State Representative (D-Hamden)
- Michael Freda, First Selectman of North Haven and President of the ConnecticutConference of Municipalities
- Judy Goldberg, Vice President of Government Relations for the Connecticut PTA
- Susan Halpin, Connecticut Association of Health Plans
- Angela Harris, Phillips Health Ministry and Phillips CME Church
- Eileen Healy, Executive Director of Independence Northwest for the Connecticut Cross-Disability Lifespan Alliance and Chair of the Connecticut Association of Centers for Independent Living
- Derrick Holloway, Pastor of First Calvary Baptist Church
- Erin Jones, Counsel for the March of Dimes
- Greg Jones, Legacy Foundation
- Nihal Khan, Director of Religious Affairs for the Islamic Center of Connecticut
- Sal Luciano, President of the Connecticut AFL-CIO
- Mag Morelli, President of LeadingAge Connecticut
- Diane Morgenthaler, Director of Health and Wellness for Southern Connecticut State University
- Maurice Porter, Reverend of Impact Church
- Joseph Quaranta, President of the Community Medical Group and Co-Chair of the Connecticut Health Information Technology Advisory Council
- Jordan Scheff, Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Developmental Services
- Milagrosa Seguinot, President of Connecticut Community Health Workers Association
- Heather Somers, State Senator (R-Griswold, Groton, North Stonington, Plainfield, Preston, Sterling, Stonington, Voluntown)
- Vicki Veltri, Executive Director of the Connecticut Office of Health Strategy
Two individuals associated with the Biden-Harris campaign tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday. Liz Allen, communications director to Sen. Kamala Harris, and a non-staff flight crew member tested positive, according to the campaign. Harris canceled all in-person appearances until Sunday.
Scientific subgroup
- Jessica Abrantes-Figueiredo, Chief of Infectious Diseases for Saint Francis Hospital
- David Banach, Head of Infection Prevention and Hospital Epidemiologist at UConn Health
- Keith Grant, Senior System Director for Infection Prevention for Hartford HealthCare
- Jim Hadler, Clinical Professor of Epidemiology at the Yale School of Medicine
- Danyal Ibrahim, Trinity Health of New England
- Albert Ko, Professor of Epidemiology and Medicine and Department Chair at the Yale School of Public Health
- Roxy Kozyckyj, Director of State Government Affairs for the Healthcare Distribution Alliance
- Richard Martinello, Medical Director of Infection Prevention for Yale New Haven Hospital and Yale New Haven Health
- William Petit, State Representative (R-New Britain, Plainville)
- Jack Ross, President of the Connecticut Infectious Diseases Society
- Jason Schwartz, Assistant Professor at the Yale School of Public Health
- Jody Terranova, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics for the American Academy of Pediatrics
