Robin Robinson: Improving the Government's Pandemic Response

When swine flu was identified this spring and started to spread globally, Americans expressed concerns about the federal government's ability to handle the growing public health threat.

The Biomedical Advanced Research Development Authority, under the leadership of Robin Robinson, has worked hard to put the U.S. government in a stronger position than it was a few years ago to confront any potential pandemic.

Congress recruited Robinson from the private sector to help start the office in late 2004 -- a mandate of the Pandemic Flu and All Hazards Preparedness Act. Since then, he's built it from the ground up to prepare for moments such as the swine flu outbreak.

"Our way of thinking and doing business has completely changed," Robinson said. "In the past, government and industry were timid. After Katrina, we saw what can happen if you don't prepare properly for a disaster. We now leave no stone unturned. That approach permeates every aspect of our work, from the stockpiling of vaccines to the R&D."

An arm of the Health and Human Services (HHS) department, BARDA provides a systematic approach to the development and purchase of vaccines, drugs, therapies and diagnostic tools to support public health emergencies and protect Americans from bioterrorism.

Robinson's office works with drug manufacturers and is coordinating the development and purchase of a swine flu vaccine that will be tested and available this fall. He expects about 200 million doses will be manufactured in the next four months and says that potentially 600 million doses could be produced if needed. The Obama administration has committed more than $1 billion to support its conception so far.

"This is the largest vaccine effort the world has ever seen," Robinson said. "We have been preparing for something like this for the last four and a half years. This is for real. Now we will find out if everything we did was the right thing."

Barely five years old, BARDA has made significant achievements under Robinson's leadership. His unit led the development of a vaccine to fight the strain of bird flu that has killed more than 250 people since 2003.

Robinson was "an army of one" when he started such endeavors, according to his former HHS supervisor, Noreen Hynes of Johns Hopkins Medical Center.

"All of the initial accomplishments were just Robin: sending out the request for proposals, setting up the review panels, putting out the requests for information," she said.

He was eventually helped by a congressional appropriation of billions of dollars to support the avian flu vaccine. The funds helped him build an innovation team and convince private research firms to join his effort.

Gerald Parker, a deputy assistant secretary at HHS, said Robinson overcame many roadblocks to launch BARDA.

"Obstacles always present themselves, especially in the medical vaccine and all hazards medicine industry. Dr. Robinson displays agility and flexibility to listen to other views and incorporates them into a path forward," Parker said. "His commitment to the team effort is also critical to the success they have achieved."

In addition to supporting the creation of flu vaccines, Robinson manages the procurement and advanced development of medical countermeasures for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear agents. That involves supporting development of new medical countermeasures to anthrax, Small Pox, botulism and a variety of other biochemical threats.

William Vanderwagen, an assistant secretary for preparedness and response at HHS, said Robinson's "dedication to the public health medical emergency preparedness mission has inspired both older and younger colleagues from industry, academia and government to join him at BARDA."

Robinson said that although there is much work to be done and that pitfalls could lie ahead, he feels "humbled" to be part of the effort to organize the swine flu response.

"If we don't do it, it won't get done and people will die," Robinson said. "I feel honored to have the opportunity to lead this organization and make a difference in public health and preparedness for the American people."

This article was jointly prepared by the Partnership for Public Service, a group seeking to enhance the performance of the federal government, and washingtonpost.com. Visit www.ourpublicservice.org for more about the organization's work.