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CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky testifies before Congress Wednesday about the agency’s annual budget as the US battles the Covid-19 pandemic that killed nearly 600,000 Americans.
Dr. Anne Schuchat, the deputy director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, also testified before the subcommittee on home remedies, labor, health and human services, education and related facilities on Wednesday.
The hearing comes just over a week after Schuchat announced her resignation from the health department after 33 years. It also comes because the agency has received criticism of its updated guidelines on face masks for fully vaccinated Americans.
The CDC announced on May 13 that fully vaccinated individuals would no longer need to wear face masks or stay 6 feet away in most environments, whether indoors or outdoors. Unvaccinated individuals should continue to wear masks as they continue to be at risk of mild or serious illness, death, and the risk of spreading the disease to others.