Administration Fires Border Health Inspectors Who Screen For Diseases
Experts warn that Americans may be more vulnerable to pathogens carried by plants, animals, and people. Meanwhile, the CDC is ending a successful campaign designed to encourage people to receive the flu vaccine. In other news: Experts say the egg shortage will not affect flu vaccines; bird flu lab techs in California are going on strike; and more.
The New York Times:
Trump Administration Has Fired Health Inspectors At Some Border Stations
At the nation’s borders, federal workers keep the country safe in many ways: Some investigate sick passengers. Some examine animals for dangerous pathogens. And some inspect plants for infestations that could spread in this country. Late last week, the Trump administration dispatched hundreds of those federal employees with the same message that colleagues at other agencies received: Their services were no longer needed. (Mandavilli and Anthes, 2/19)
On the spread of the flu —
NPR:
Trump Administration Terminates CDC Flu Vaccine Campaign
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is stopping a successful flu vaccination campaign that juxtaposed images of wild animals, such as a lion, with cute counterparts, like a kitten, as an analogy for how immunization can help tame the flu. The news was shared with staff during a meeting on Wednesday, according to two CDC staffers who spoke with NPR on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly, and a recording reviewed by NPR. (Stone, 2/19)
MedPage Today:
Will The Egg Shortage Affect Flu Shots?
While millions of vaccine doses are made using chicken eggs each year, experts say the current egg shortage won't hamper next year's flu vaccine production cycle. Previous bird flu outbreaks and decades-old public health infrastructure have led industry to protect the hens used for vaccine production, experts told MedPage Today. Moreover, flu vaccines that don't require eggs are available, and mRNA-based flu shots are in development. (Robertson, 2/19)
Becker's Hospital Review:
Why This Flu Season Is So Severe
After a moderate influenza season last year, flu has returned with a vengeance this winter. The CDC estimates flu has killed between 16,000 to 79,000 people (including 68 children), infected between 29 million and 51 million people, and hospitalized up to 820,000 since Oct. 1. This season is now being regarded as the most severe flu season in the U.S. in 15 years. (Asin, 2/19)
On bird flu —
The Washington Post:
UC-Davis Lab Workers Key To California’s Bird Flu Response To Go On Strike
Workers at the only lab in California with the authority to confirm high-risk bird flu cases will go on a brief strike next week, claiming that years of understaffing, poor training and burnout have left them struggling to protect the state’s food chain from the rampant virus. ... Limited career advancement and poor management prompted a staff exodus early last year, former lab workers said, and chronic staffing shortages have since increased errors and left remaining workers ill-equipped to handle virus testing. (Ziegler, 2/19)
CBS News:
Raw Pet Food Is Recalled And Warnings Issued In Two States After Cats Die Of Bird Flu
Some lots of raw pet food sold in two states are being recalled after two indoor cats became ill with bird flu earlier this month and were euthanized due to the severity of their illnesses. Officials in Oregon and Washington issued public health alerts late last week after tests confirmed highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in the felines, which lived in different households in Multnomah County, Oregon. (Gibson, 2/19)
On mpox —
The Guardian:
Trump’s Dismantling Of USAid Raises Risk Of Mpox Global Emergency, Experts Warn
As the Trump administration dismantles the US Agency for International Development (USAid) and retreats from funding global public health efforts, mpox – formerly known as monkeypox – is at greater risk of becoming a wider global emergency, according to aid workers and global health experts. “It’s a real mistake not to be doing everything we can to control this while we’re still able to,” said Stephen Morse, a professor of epidemiology at Columbia University focusing on risk assessment of infectious diseases. “Taking huge steps backwards is only going to make everything worse.” (Adams, 2/20)
