Continuing its work on flu preparedness, the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, chaired by Rep. Tim Murphy (R-PA), has scheduled a hearing for Nov. 19, 2015, at 10 a.m., in room 2322 of the Rayburn House Office Building. The hearing is entitled, “U.S. Public Health Preparedness for Seasonal Influenza: Has the Response Improved?"
The subcommittee has a longstanding bipartisan record of working to determine how the public health sector can better prepare for and respond to the flu more effectively. Last year’s flu vaccine was a mismatch with the dominant strain, causing many Americans who received flu shots to fall ill. In February 2015, the subcommittee explored whether there were other potential actions that could have been taken to mitigate the negative impacts of the mismatched vaccine. In March, bipartisan committee leaders also followed up with five top agency officials to determine how the U.S. public health response could be improved. Next week’s hearing continues the subcommittee’s efforts and will examine the plans and preparedness of federal public health agencies as well as lessons learned.
“Last year we endured a harsh flu season made worse by a poor vaccine match," said Chairman Murphy. “Were lessons learned? We’ll find out next week as our work continues to ensure the flu vaccine is effective and keeps Americans healthy."
The Majority Memorandum, a witness list, and witness testimony will be available here as they are posted.
