A 7-inch bobblehead of Dr. Deborah Birx, the response coordinator for the White House Coronavirus Task Force, is now available for pre-order for $25 plus shipping. (Photo credit: The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum)
MILWAUKEE - Dr. Deborah Birx, the response coordinator for the White House Coronavirus Task Force, is getting her own bobblehead complete with her signature scarf, and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to benefit medical workers across the country in the fight against COVID-19.
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The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum unveiled the bobblehead of Birx on Wednesday, which is available for pre-order.
The museum said $5 from every Birx bobblehead sold will be donated to the American Hospital Association’s Protect the Heroes Campaign and the 100 Million Mask Challenge, fundraising efforts to support local health care workers in need of personal protective equipment.
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Birx began her career as a clinician in immunology, eventually focusing on HIV/AIDS vaccine research before serving as ambassador-at-large and United States global AIDS coordinator from 2014 through 2020.
"Bobbleheads are the ultimate honor, and we think Dr. Birx deserves it given what she has done and continues to do for our country and the world in the battle against COVID-19,” National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum co-founder and CEO Phil Sklar said.
The Pennsylvania native began her career with the Department of Defense as a military-trained clinician in immunology when the HIV/AIDS epidemic broke out in the U.S.
She helped lead “one of the most influential HIV vaccine trials in history,” known as RV 144 or the “Thai trial,” which provided the first supporting evidence of any vaccine’s potential effectiveness in preventing HIV infection, according to her biography on the U.S. Department of State website.
Vice President Mike Pence described Birx as his “right arm” at the time of her appointment to the coronavirus response team.
“We received a lot of requests for a bobblehead of Dr. Birx and are excited to be able to use the bobblehead to continue to raise funds for a vital cause that is helping to keep those on the front lines protected while also making people smile during these unprecedented times,” Sklar added.
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Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious diseases expert on the White House Coronavirus Task Force, also had his own bobblehead unveiled earlier this month. Through the sale of Fauci bobbleheads, the museum has raised more than $130,000 in support of the 100 Million Mask Challenge, and the Fauci likeness has become its bestselling bobblehead of all time.
The 7-inch bobbleheads are $25 each plus a flat-rate shipping charge of $8 per order and are expected to ship in July.
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This story was reported from Cincinnati.