Senate confirms Erica Schwartz as new CDC director

The U.S. Senate voted 51 to 44 on Wednesday to confirm Erica Schwartz as the next director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Schwartz, a former deputy surgeon general and a veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard, was widely expected to win confirmation.

Her appointment signals continuity in CDC leadership, a factor that pharmaceutical companies and investors will monitor as the agency shapes public-health policy and disease-response strategies.