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To better understand Operation Warp Speed (OWS) and the continued Department of Defense (DOD) and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) partnership (now known as the HHS-DOD Countermeasures Acceleration Group, or “CAG”), we took a closer look at those involved in the nation-wide effort and their role in getting the public fully immunized.

Illustration of a diverse group of people working together towards a common goal
Image source: Юлия Лазебная, Colorlife, Zubada/stock.adobe.com

Who is leading the DOD and HHS partnership?1

Efforts to develop, manufacture, and distribute COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics involve multiple players, including federal agencies and the private sector.

On May 15, 2020, the federal government announced OWS — a partnership between the Department of Defense (DOD) and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)2 — to accelerate the development, manufacturing, and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics. As of January 20, 2021, the federal government no longer uses the name Operation Warp Speed, but the DOD and HHS partnership has continued. In April 2021, the partnership was renamed the CAG, and the Secretary of HHS was named responsible for the overall direction of the CAG. The figure below shows the leadership structure of the HHS and DOD partnership, as of July 2021, to continue this effort.

Reported Leadership Structure of the HHS and DOD Partnership, as of July 2021

The partnership between the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Department of Defense (DOD) to accelerate the development, testing, supply, production, and distribution of vaccines and therapeutics for COVID-19. The senior leadership team includes the Chief Advisor and Chief Operating Officer. Four areas of focus: Vaccines; Therapeutics; Supply, Production and Distribution; Security Assurance)
Source: GAO analysis of information from the partnership between the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), formerly known as Operation Warp Speed. | Adapted from GAO-21-207

Where does private industry come in?3

The DOD and HHS partnership has engaged with private industry, including companies that are developing and manufacturing COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics, and other federal partners, such as the Department of Veterans Affairs, to help achieve its accelerated development goals.

The companies with COVID-19 vaccine candidates under the DOD and HHS partnership are:4

Effective coordination and communication among these and many other players will be critical to the successful rollout of COVID-19 vaccines.


Footnotes

  1. Source: GAO-21-207
  2. Source: GAO-21-319
  3. Source: GAO-21-207
  4. Source: GAO-21-319