A single line often inverts meaning once you see what it
answers, so neighbouring messages are always shown.
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Dec. 14, 2009 - Gave big talk at CSIS on new treatment approaches to HIV/AIDS at their headquarters on 18th and K Streets, NW. Evening reception at Stone house for Julio Frenk. Good guy. I knew him slightly when he was Minister of Health for Mexico.
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Dec. 15, 2009 - Much activity at HHS level to get the "team" to work on pushing vaccine since much is now available. HHS is getting anxious (Jenny Backus, Laura Petrou, etc.) about possible "end-of-the-year" news stories that might criticize HHS and USG for doing a poor job with H1N1. Had an interesting 90 minute with Washington Post Editorial Board (Fred Hiatt and Jonathan Capehart) to discuss the response to H1N1. Meeting was me, Peggy Hamburg, Tom Frieden, and Jenny Backus.
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Dec. 17, 2009 - Continuing on with the HHS push to try to get a final positive spin for end of 2009 on our response to H1N1. They arranged a Press Briefing at the National Press Club with me, Secretary Sebelius, Tom Frieden, Peggy Hamburg, Nicki Lurie, Jess Goodman, etc. to explain what we have done in response to H1N1.
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Dec. 24, 2009 - Traditional "great" dinner for my birthday at sister Denise's home. Over the years, Jenny, Megan and Ali have come to treasure this tradition similar to some of the family traditions that Denise and I treasured like dinner over Grandma Abys's home for the holidays. In the AM had my traditional birthday breakfast hosted by Chris and the girls at the Silver Diner on Connecticut Avenue.
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2009-12-30 00:00
Anthony S. Fauci
Dec. 30, 2009 - Lunch at the White House mess with Heidi Avery. She is Deputy to John Brennan at the National Security Council at the White House. She is former CIA and Counter Terrorist Unit Chief. She want to talk to me about how we should broadly handle "all threats to the public health" instead of going incident by incident as with pandemic flu. She wanted to speak with me because she heard that I was a visionary about these issues. Very enjoyable conversation. Obviously, WH sources know about me despite the sometimes discouraging relationships that I have had with HHS and their lack of appreciation about who I am and what I have done over the years.
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Jan. 6, 2010 - Big Global Health Research Summit held at NIH (Fisher's Lane) with big hitters attending. Convened by Francis Collins to flesh out suggestions for his Global Health Initiative as one of the 5 pillars of his tenure. Jack Lew from State was there as were Eric Goosby, Zeke Emanuel representing WH, and many, many global health stars. Good meeting.
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Jan. 12, 2010 - Finally had the launch of the DC - NIH HIV/AIDS Partnership. Went to Anacostia for a inauguration and press conference with me, Mayor Fenty, Councilman David Catania, Shannon Hader and Pierre Vigilance from DC Dept. of Health. Got good press with Channel 5 FOX News. Also, had good and lengthy interview with Wolf Blitzer on "The Situation Room" that evening on National Influenza Vaccination Week (Jan. 10-16). Again, the latter is part of the push to get people vaccinated. Of note, all over Europe there are tens of millions of doses of vaccine that countries like France, Germany, Italy are turning back to the company since they are unused. Interesting issue might arise about the companies no longer wanting to respond to crises since they make a lot of vaccine an then countries cancel the orders. More to come on this.
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Jan. 19, 2010 - Heidi Avery (see Dec. 30, 2009) called a meeting this evening (7:00 to 8:45 PM) in the Situation Room of the West Wing to discuss the broad plans to handle all public health threats, i.e. existing, naturally emerging and deliberately emerging. Present at the meeting was Zeke Emanuel, Nicki Lurie, Peggy Hamburg, Tom Frieden by phone from Atlanta, Jesse Goodman, Brian Kamoe, George Korch, Richard Hatchett, James Lawlor (latter 2 are my employees detailed to Heidi), Mike Kurilla, among others. Heidi had asked us (NIH, CDC, FDA, HSS) through Nicki Lurie to prepare a 1-pager on this initiative from each of our perspectives. Nicki consolidated the 1-pagers and we presented the concept to Heidi. Heidi is aiming to get the POTUS to announce some sort of initiative in the State of the Union Address on January 27. I am very impressed with Heidi and her no-nonsense style of getting to the point and the question at hand. Heidi mentioned to me as we left the Situation Room that she was relying on my "vision" to help get this going. Let us see what comes of this.
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Jan. 21, 2010 - Has long meeting in my office and private dinner at Trattoria Sorrento in Bethesda with Eric Goosby, the Ambassador at Large in charge of PEPFAR and the new Chief of the OGAC (Office of Global AIDS Coordinator) to discuss the future of PEPFAR. Recall that Eric was one of the people that I flew in the put the icing on the cake of convincing the White House in 2002 that I was right about starting PEPFAR. In any event, we discussed the issues of broadening the mandate of PEPFAR and integrating it in a more comprehensive health systems partnership with the developing countries. Unlike in the past, he is in favor of "operational" or "Implementation" research to determine best practices associated with PEPFAR mission. He confided in me the issues in the Department of State in putting the President's Global Health Initiative (GHI) under USAID with new Director Raj Shah. Since PEPFAR in included within and is the major part ($51 Billion out of $63 Billion) of the GHI, the question remains will Hillary Clinton put PEPFAR under USAID. Given the ineptitudes of USAID, I told Eric that he should never accept that. He agrees and actually said that he would resign if that happened. I do not think that things will happen that way.