Julie Gerberding, co-chair of the CSIS Commission on Strengthening America’s Health Security and Executive VP, Merck, Inc, joined me at CSIS for a lively conversation with Richard Hatchett, CEO of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI.) Richard walked us through CEPI’s genesis in 2017, its mission to accelerate vaccines against dangerous pathogens, its sudden emergence during the pandemic as a foundational element of the Access to Covid-19 Tools (ACT-A), including its emerging role advancing innovative manufacturing, and its vision for how the world can use the lessons we’re learning to prepare for the next pandemic. Of special timeliness: why is it in the U.S. national interest to deepen the U.S. partnership with CEPI? And what hope does he have for a post-pandemic consensus on managing health security risks and strengthening the design of preparedness and response institutions? You can also watch the event here: https://www.csis.org/events/cepi-20-critical-inflection-point