Recognizing Two Public Health Heroes

America’s public health community has been tested like never before over the past three years. While the pandemic raged across the country, health and public health professionals and researchers stepped up to face the challenge, often putting their own lives at risk to protect the safety of their communities. There’s no question the response to the most dangerous health threat in a century had ups and downs, but it’s imperative for our nation to support our public health professionals as today they face burnout, low pay and an uncertain future.?

We have all heard and seen stories of health heroes who worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic, and they are indeed heroes. What many people don’t realize is that beyond responding to the emergency of the COVID-19 pandemic, the work of protecting our nation from future infectious diseases and other threats continued behind the scenes. Then and now, there have been countless other heroes conducting scientific research, deploying to the field, or developing strategies to, for instance, ensure lifesaving vaccinations continue, responding to the opioid overdose crisis or ensuring our food and water are safe.?

Two of these professionals were formally recognized for their tireless work earlier this month. Nobel Prize recipient Katalin Karikó, PhD, and Anne Schuchat, MD, deservedly were awarded the Fries Prize for Improving Health at a ceremony hosted by the American Public Health Association and the CDC Foundation. First presented in 1992, the Fries Prize recognizes an individual who has made major accomplishments in health improvement with the general criteria of doing the greatest good for the greatest number of people. This year, for the first time, the Fries Prize jury was awarded to two individuals, and I could not think of two more worthy professionals than Drs. Karikó and Schuchat.??

Despite years of challenges and setbacks, Dr. Karikó and her colleagues passionately persevered in their pioneering work in advancing their mRNA platform, which has become the basis for a number of the key COVID-19 vaccines. Their discovery has changed the vaccine field by offering a very effective and safe platform that can be rapidly constructed, tested, scaled up, and administered to patients to combat infectious diseases.??

Their research has allowed mRNA to have the potential for numerous applications that will benefit society, such as preventing infection, treating various acute and chronic diseases, and preserving the health of an individual by studying mutations in their genetic code. The possibilities for prevention and treatment are limitless, and the technology has the potential to revolutionize medical care globally.??

During her more than 33 years at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Dr. Schuchat played key roles in numerous emergency responses, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2009 H1N1 pandemic influenza response, the 2003 SARS outbreak in Beijing, and more. She has worked on meningitis, pneumonia, and Ebola vaccine trials and conducted surveillance and prevention projects in South Africa and served on the board of GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance. Dr. Schuchat is credited with saving millions through her extraordinary public health leadership by preventing infant deaths due to Group B Streptococcal (GBS) disease.??

I had the honor of working with Dr. Schuchat at CDC. Throughout her time at the agency, she was seen as a trusted public health official as well as a strong mentor, showing compassion and a willingness to be vulnerable, characteristics that engendered trust. Dr. Schuchat’s attention to mentorship has had an amazing ripple effect. Her impact as a mentor spans the nation and the globe. Her mentees include many center directors at CDC, current and former state epidemiologists, and many other public health leaders.?

The late Dr. James F. Fries, formerly professor emeritus of medicine at Stanford University, came up with the idea for the Fries Prize for Improving Health in a 1987 ascent of Nepal’s Makalu—one of the world’s highest peaks—when his party became trapped in a severe snowstorm and was ultimately unable to scale the mountain. Following that experience, Dr. Fries returned to sea level and set about with his wife, Sarah Fries, establishing a foundation to support a Nobel-like prize for health.?

Recent winners have included Dr. David Satcher who was U.S. Surgeon General and CDC director, for his outstanding achievements and lifetime commitment to eliminating health disparities and championing health equity for all. Another recent winner was Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha who exposed the Flint, MI, water crisis, motivating national changes in community water management and reducing racial and ethnic disparities in child health.?

I am proud of Drs. Karikó and Schuchat for their efforts to improve public health. Thanks to the groundbreaking work of Dr. Karikó and her research partner on the mRNA technology and the tireless efforts of Dr. Schuchat and her public health colleagues to develop and implement a vaccination strategy, we were able to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. At a time when science and governmental public health are challenged like never before, recognizing the profound impact of exemplary researchers and practitioners provides inspiration to the next generation of people considering whether public service is worth the potential cost. We need leadership like that of Drs. Karikó, Schuchat and so many others now more than ever.?

Judy Monroe, MD, is president and CEO of the CDC Foundation?

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