Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Bird Flu Controversy An Opportunity To Set A Higher Tone For Public Debate
In this Huffington Post opinion piece, Leslie Gerwin, associate director of law and public affairs at Princeton University, reflects on the recent controversy over whether to research and publish data about potentially dangerous strains of the H5N1 bird flu virus, writing, "I am disturbed that so much coverage of this dispute -- so deserving of sober consideration -- is fixated on fear mongering." She notes, "Those opposing research or publication ... predict that publishing results will lead to abuse or misuse by terrorists looking to create a biological weapon. ... Those favoring continuation of the project warn of 'censorship,' a constitutional no-no particularly when involving the 'suppression' of science."
This is part of the Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.
