German health minister to travel to US for Covid-19 strategy talks

German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach will travel to the United States on Tuesday to exchange views on the direction of the Covid-19 pandemic with scientists and top government officials.
The six-day trip will involve comparing strategy with senior advisers of the US government in preparation for a potential autumn wave of cases, a spokesman for the minister said Friday in Berlin.
Talks are planned with Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and Anthony Fauci, the US president's pandemic adviser.
Lauterbach, who is a trained doctor and epidemiologist, will also meet with representatives of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, along with visiting other scientists and medical facilities.
In addition, a visit to a production facility of the vaccine manufacturer Moderna is planned.
Germany and the United States are bracing for a wave of Covid-19 infections driven by highly infectious Omicron subvariants. Both governments are preparing for new vaccine booster campaigns.