The US has made progress since the COVID-19 pandemic began, but experts say more work is needed to improve preparedness. Dr. Ashish Jha, former White House COVID-19 response coordinator, shares his insights on what’s improved and what needs improvement.
While the country has become better prepared than five years ago, it still lags in some areas. “We are not as prepared as we need to be,” says Dr. Jha. To address this, the US should adopt a similar approach to military preparedness for health crises. The Department of Health and Human Services declared the COVID-19 public health emergency over in May 2023.
One area that has seen significant improvement is wastewater surveillance, which allows for tracking virus spread across the country. However, funding cuts may threaten this system’s expansion. Dr. Jha also praises Operation Warp Speed’s success in developing vaccines quickly and building up treatment platforms, such as monoclonal antibodies.
However, concerns remain about confidence in the scientific process. Public health officials have faced scrutiny over mistakes, leading to a campaign to discredit public health enterprises. This erodes trust, making it harder to build confidence for future crises.
The US is also facing new challenges from bird flu and measles outbreaks. Bird flu has seen increased mammal infections, while low vaccination rates in some communities leave them vulnerable to measles spread.
In conclusion, the US must prioritize rebuilding confidence in public health and addressing funding gaps to improve its pandemic preparedness.
Source: https://www.yahoo.com/news/is-the-us-prepared-for-another-pandemic-090041486.html