Indian origin Nirav Shah becomes US CDC’s No 2

Nirav Shah, head of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), will become principal deputy director of the US CDC, Maine Governor Janet Mills said on Thursday.

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 US 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 US 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.