Biden Aims To Bolster Biodefenses Ahead Of Next Pandemic
The Biden administration's new national biodefense strategy unveiled Tuesday adopts lessons learned from the covid pandemic. Among its key measures are plans to expedite future vaccines, smooth interagency disputes, and detect threats earlier.
Bloomberg:
Biden’s Next Pandemic Plan Eyes Vaccine Supply Within 130 Days
President Joe Biden’s strategy for the next deadly pandemic calls for the US to produce a test for a new pathogen within 12 hours of its discovery and enough vaccine to protect the nation within 130 days. (Griffin, 10/18)
Reuters:
Coronavirus Pandemic Prompts Biden To Focus On Biological Threats
Biden signed three documents on biodefense security aimed at establishing a strategy and an implementation plan to gird for the next time a virus spreads widely in the United States. The National Biodefense Strategy, released by the White House, said the United States must address the "accidental release of biological agents, and threats posed by terrorist groups or adversaries seeking to use biological weapons." (10/18)
Stat:
Biden Admin Offers A New Strategy To Prepare For Future Pandemics
The new biodefense strategy envisions recruiting, training, and sustaining a public health workforce — including laboratory technicians, veterinarians, and community health workers — to not only better detect emerging diseases but respond to them. Public health departments in the United States have long warned they’re underfunded and overworked, a dynamic only exacerbated by the pandemic. But administration officials said the goal was not only to build up such a public health army in the United States, but that they were also committed to helping at least 50 countries strengthen their own local capacities. (Joseph, 10/18)
