▁cause ▁for ▁alarm ". ▁President ▁Ob ama ▁suggested ▁that ▁U . S . ▁schools ▁should ▁consider ▁shut ting ▁down , ▁as ▁a ▁future ▁possibility , ▁if ▁their ▁students ▁were ▁to ▁become ▁inf ected . ▁White ▁House ▁Press ▁Secretary ▁Robert ▁Gib bs ▁said ▁the ▁effort ▁to ▁get ▁a ▁team ▁in ▁place ▁to ▁respond ▁to ▁the ▁health ▁sc are ▁has ▁not ▁been ▁h inder ed ▁by ▁the ▁lack ▁of ▁a ▁secretary ▁of ▁Health ▁and ▁Human ▁Services ▁or ▁app o inte es ▁in ▁any ▁of ▁the ▁department ' s ▁ 1 9 ▁key ▁posts . ▁The ▁president ' s ▁nom ine e , ▁Kansas ▁G ov . ▁Kath le en ▁Seb el ius , ▁was ▁still ▁await ing ▁confirm ation ▁from ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Senate ▁until ▁passing ▁on ▁April ▁ 2 8 . ▁The ▁President ▁has ▁not ▁yet ▁made ▁appoint ments ▁to ▁either ▁the ▁Commission er ▁of ▁the ▁Food ▁and ▁D rug ▁Administration , ▁the ▁Sur geon ▁General , ▁or ▁the ▁Director ▁of ▁the ▁Cent ers ▁for ▁D ise ase ▁Control ▁and ▁Pre vention . ▁The ▁current ▁acting ▁Sur geon ▁General , ▁Steven ▁K . ▁Gal son , ▁is ▁also ▁currently ▁serving ▁as ▁the ▁Act ing ▁Ass istant ▁Secretary ▁for ▁Health . ▁ ▁On ▁April ▁ 3 0 , ▁it ▁was ▁reported ▁that ▁an ▁a ide ▁to ▁Steven ▁Ch u , ▁the ▁US ▁Energy ▁Secretary , ▁had ▁fallen ▁ill ▁from ▁the ▁virus ▁after ▁helping ▁ar range ▁President ▁Bar ack ▁Ob ama ' s ▁trip ▁to ▁Mexico . ▁However , ▁the ▁White ▁House ▁stated ▁that