Obama Taps NYC Health Commissioner for CDC
By Brian Kates
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
President Obama named city Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Frieden director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Friday, putting him in the forefront of solving the nation's swine flu crisis.
Frieden, health commissioner for seven years, led Mayor Bloomberg's fight to ban smoking in public places and the use of trans-fats by in restaurants, boosted HIV testing and helped distribute over 10 million free condoms.
Obama called Frieden a "leader in the fight for health care reform" and said "his experiences confronting public health challenges in our country and abroad will be essential in this new role."
Frieden, who called this month for a "Manhattan Project-style effort to develope a vaccine" against swine flu, will be charged with containing the latest outbreak.
The virus has infected 6,673 people in 35 countries and killed 70.
On Thursday, the city ordered three Queens schools closed after an assistant principal at Intermediate School 238 in Hollis was taken critically ill with the mysterious H1N1 virus.
Frieden, 48, is expected to take office next month. His appointment does not require Senate confirmation. He succeedS Dr. Julie Gerberding, who resigned in January. Dr. Richard Besser has served as acting head of the Atlanta-based CDC in recent months.
"Dr. Frieden has demonstrated his talent and leadership over the past seven years and we look forward to working with him in his new role in Atlanta," Mayor Bloomberg said. He called Frieden "second to none" and praised his creation of "a data system that will hold us all accountable for continued progress."
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