Indian-American Vidur Sharma appointed Biden's policy adviser for COVID-19 testing

US President-elect Joe Biden has appointed yet another Indian-American to his team of experts tasked with bringing the COVID-19 pandemic under control. Biden and Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris on January 15 announced additional members of the White House COVID-19 Response team, where Indian-American Vidur Sharma found a place as a policy advisor for testing. Sharma, who has worked in the Obama-Biden administration as a health policy adviser, will advise the new Biden government on COVID-19 testing. 

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Played vital role in Obama-Biden admin

Sharma has reportedly played a vital role in the implementation of the Affordable Care Act by former President Barack Obama's administration. He has also served as Deputy Research Director with Protect Out Care, an advocacy group launched to prevent Donald Trump's administration from repealing the Affordable Care Act. 

Sharma, a son of Indian immigrants, was born in Wisconsin and raised in Minnesota. He attended the prestigious Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Saint Louis University. Sharma currently lives with his wife in Washington DC. 

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"We are in a race against time, and we need a comprehensive strategy to quickly contain this virus. The individuals announced today will bolster the White House’s COVID-19 Response team and play important roles in carrying out our rescue plan and vaccination program. At a time when American families are facing numerous challenges I know these public servants will do all that is needed to build our nation back better," Joe Biden said while appointing additional members of his COVID-19 Response team.

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Other appointees of the Biden-Harris COVID-19 team includes Amy Chang as Policy Adviser, Special Counsel Abbe Gluck, David Kessler as Chief Science Officer of COVID Response, Rosa Po as COVID Response Team Deputy Chief of Staff, Andy Slavitt as Senior Advisor to the COVID Response Coordinator, Ben Wakana as Deputy Director of Strategic Communications & Engagement, and B. Cameron Webb as Senior Policy Advisor for COVID-19 Equity. 

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