The Biden administration’s response to the growing threat of bird flu has drawn criticism from health experts, who warn that the US Department of Health and Human Services is not moving quickly enough to prepare for a potential public health emergency.
Over 60 human cases of H5N1 bird flu have been detected in the US since April, with California recently declaring a state of emergency around the outbreak among dairy cows. Public health experts fear that if the virus evolves to spread from person to person, it could be catastrophic, with a case fatality rate over 50%.
The administration’s response has been slow, with some experts calling for an Operation Warp Speed-like initiative to develop a vaccine against H5N1. Robert Kadlec, who led the administration’s vaccine effort during the Trump term, said he was “perplexed” by the Biden administration’s “slow reaction” to the outbreak.
The incoming administration’s priorities also raise concerns among health experts. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the pick to lead the HHS, has vowed to end the FDA’s “aggressive suppression” of raw milk and focus on chronic diseases instead. This could mean less funding for pandemic preparedness and response efforts.
Experts warn that a lack of testing, surveillance, and vaccine development puts the US at risk. The government has a stockpile of personal protective equipment, antiviral drugs, and vaccines, but experts fear it may not be enough to combat an outbreak.
“It would be far worse than Covid because the death rate would likely be higher,” said Lawrence Gostin, faculty director of Georgetown University’s O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law. “We don’t want to wait until a breakout moment for this virus, because by then it’ll be too late.”
Source: https://news.bloomberglaw.com/health-law-and-business/bird-flu-outbreak-raises-readiness-concerns-for-trump-hhs