Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
National Science Advisory Board Explains Decision To Censor Bird Flu Research
"Details of a genetically altered strain of the deadly avian flu virus are 'a grave concern' to public safety and should be kept under wraps," the 23-member National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity declared Tuesday "[i]n a letter released by the journals Science (.pdf) and Nature," CNN reports (1/31). "The board explains that its main concern was that publishing the experiments in detail could help someone to develop viruses for harmful purposes," BBC News writes, adding, "But it acknowledges the work holds 'clear benefits' in alerting humanity to the potential H5N1 threat, and that it could lead to greater preparation and potential development of novel strategies for disease control" (Walsh, 1/31).
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