U.S. CDC appoints Maine's Nirav Shah as second-in-command

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Shah joined Maine CDC in June 2019 and led its efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. He will replace Debra Houry, who joined in 2021, and will report to U.S. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky.

His appointment, which comes a day after the United States extended COVID-19’s status as a public health emergency, is part of a broader ongoing revamp of the agency’s structure.

The U.S. CDC said in August it would undergo a series of changes to prioritize its public health response, after months of criticism over the agency’s handling of COVID-19 and the monkeypox crisis.

Maine CDC’s deputy director, Nancy Beardsley, will serve as the state agency’s interim head while the Maine Department of Health and Human Services conducts a national search for Shah’s replacement.