As memories of the COVID years fade, fears of a coming influenza pandemic are mounting, given recent transmission of H5N1 bird flu among cattle, cats, and a few people. A letter published today in Science from Jesse L. Goodman of Georgetown University Medical Center and colleagues warns us to "prepare now for a potential H5N1 pandemic."
"Strategies should build on experiences from seasonal influenza, COVID-19, and other outbreaks; use existing infrastructure; and engage those who will implement the programs. Immunization and communications planning must be integrated and engage affected communities, and planning must transcend political divisions," they write.
But efforts to continue development of mRNA-based bird flu vaccines are facing pushback from the new administration. Vaccine hesitancy may come to be its own epidemic.
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