Opinion | America Is Abandoning One of the Greatest Medical Breakthroughs

"In national security terms, mRNA is the equivalent of a missile defense system for biology. The ability to rapidly design, produce and deploy medical countermeasures is as vital to our defense as any military capability." writes @rickabright.bsky.social
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/18/o...

Every dose built trust in a tool that can be used against deadly viruses like H5N1, Nipah, and Lassa. It is also a shield against engineered threats. Protecting public health and national security means strengthening, not retreating from, this breakthrough.

Opinion | America Is Abandoning One of the Greatest Medical Breakthroughs

mRNA is about much more than #COVID. It's the frontline of America’s defense against #pandemics and #biothreats. Turning away now would leave us unprepared and vulnerable.
My essay in the NYT: www.nytimes.com/2025/08/18/o...

Every dose built trust in a tool that can be used against deadly viruses like H5N1, Nipah, and Lassa. It's also a shield against engineered threats. Protecting public health and national security means strengthening, not retreating from, this breakthrough.

@nytimes.com @nytopinion.nytimes.com

Opinion | America Is Abandoning One of the Greatest Medical Breakthroughs

We cannot afford to abandon a breakthrough that saved millions.

mRNA vaccines were the fastest way out of the pandemic, proving safe, effective, and adaptable for the future. The real risk now is choosing politics over science.

Read my @nytimes essay:
👉 www.nytimes.com/2025/08/18/o...

BARDA invested in mRNA technology precisely because it could deliver safe, scalable vaccines in record time, a capability proven during COVID.
By dismantling that platform, we’re crippling our front-line defense, just ahead of unknown biological threats.
www.hhs.gov/press-room/h...

A single shot of a flu drug could outperform vaccines—and protect for an entire season One injection of a long-lasting drug showed up to 76% efficacy in a large trial

🚨a truly remarkable milestone for the prevention of serious influenza infection. Data appear to be better than any flu vaccine over past decade or more. 🤞additional studies can move quickly, & data remain strong.
H/t Cidara Therapeutics team 🙏
www.science.org/content/arti...

HHS cancels nearly $600 million Moderna contract on vaccines for flu pandemics HHS has notified Moderna that it is canceling a nearly $600 million contract for vaccines for flu strains that could trigger future pandemics.

Huge mistake to kill the only platform able to match speed and scale of a pandemic…as shown in 2020 and will be needed again for #H5N1. Very dangerous decision made to defund progress. Very bad msg sent to industry partners, too. L
www.statnews.com/2025/05/28/m...

Prepare now for a potential H5N1 pandemic

Prepare now for a potential H5N1 pandemic | Science @rickabright.bsky.social

www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

From the H5N1_AvianFlu community on Reddit: US H5N1 Reassortment Risk Dashboard (Feb. 24 Update) Explore this post and more from the H5N1_AvianFlu community

Posted a longer form summary of recent H5N1 updates yesterday, in short, things are going in the wrong direction:

www.reddit.com/r/H5N1_Avian...

Partial sequence from the Wyoming case (hospitalized with respiratory/non-respiratory symptoms, released) uploaded to GISAID today, w/ PB2 E627K mutation (mammalian adaptation).

Outside of the BC case, I don't think this mutation's been ID'd in any US-based human case since Texas (Apr. 2, 2024).

H5N1 dashboard with updated reports of outbreaks/detections for H5 wastewater, H5N1 poultry, dairy cattle, wild birds/mammals, seasonal Flu A wastewater, and human H5N1 cases by date/source/state.

While the APHIS tracking sites are down, going to take the opportunity to plug my H5N1 dashboard, which is not down. Updated through Jan. 12, I recently added the ability to view all dairy herd infections by date on hover. I'll update again as soon as I can access APHIS sites:

bit.ly/H5N1_Dashboard

🚨Another person infected with #H5N1, this time in Ohio. Apparently a person working with deceased poultry. No details yet on the condition of the person or virus details.

Grateful for Ohio Dept of Health for quick alert.

odh.ohio.gov/media-center...

BREAKING: VIRUS FROM NEVADA DAIRY WORKER WITH BIRD FLU HAS THE SAME GENETIC MUTATION seen in the Nevada cows – a change of PB2 D701N that has previously been assoc with more efficient virus replication in ppl & mammals.

CDC told Fortune that the D1.1 variant in this worker is the same strain of

Never give up hope. #WeCanDoThis

All the things you mention are good to reduce your risk of getting infected from any kind of flu virus. For the #H5N1 virus, still mostly in birds & dairy cows, it’s important to avoid any sick or dead animal. Stay far away from dead birds wherever you see them, in park, backyard, etc.

The flu vaccine you got in the autumn were not designed to protect you from #H5N1 virus that’s spreading across the U.S. in cows and birds. A special vaccine will need to be designed for this virus if it continues to infect people.

Thank you Brooks. I will help as much as I can. It’s getting pretty rough on the other site, and refreshing to come here now. Thanks for sticking with me.

Know your brands very well, many are disguised behind wholesome appearing labels. Research your food and its source, even if it takes a little time, you’ll be glad you did.

Agree

32 days until the government runs out of money

Democratic are about to have a lot of leverage

Not clear they’ll use it

New bird flu variant found in Nevada dairy cows has experts sounding alarms: 'We have never been closer to a pandemic from this virus' Dairy herds in Nevada have been infected by a version of the H5N1 bird flu not previously seen in cows, putting virologists on high alert.

We have never been closer to a pandemic from #H5N1 virus. Yet, we are still not doing enough to prevent it or to reduce the impact when it hits.

fortune.com/well/2025/02...

@cbarbermd.bsky.social @fortune.com @scottehensley.bsky.social @angierasmussen.bsky.social

I’m still loving meat, but very careful about sourcing only from small, local farms. No industrial ag, mass market grocers or discount clubs, no fast food. It’s not easy, can cost more at times, but I know exactly where my food comes from. It’s worth the effort, but I realize not practical for all.

Honestly, it largely depends one where you source your food. If from large industrial farms/feedlots, I’d skip it altogether or at minimum cook super well. #H5N1 isn’t the only worry from those sources.
If you know the farm & it’s practices, you can still enjoy your food as you like it. Buy local!

Exactly right.

New bird flu variant found in Nevada dairy cows has experts sounding alarms: 'We have never been closer to a pandemic from this virus' Dairy herds in Nevada have been infected by a version of the H5N1 bird flu not previously seen in cows, putting virologists on high alert.

We have never been closer to a pandemic from #H5N1 virus. Yet, we are still not doing enough to prevent it or to reduce the impact when it hits.

fortune.com/well/2025/02...

@cbarbermd.bsky.social @fortune.com @scottehensley.bsky.social @angierasmussen.bsky.social

#WhatsYourPlan?

#WhatsYourPlan

Crapo Announces HHS Secretary Nomination Hearing | The United States Senate Committee on Finance Crapo Announces HHS Secretary Nomination Hearing

RFK Jr's confirmation hearings are happening next week - Senate Finance Committee scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 29 at 10am; we're told by Senate HELP Committee spokesman that they intend to schedule their hearing for Thursday, Jan. 30 www.finance.senate.gov/ranking-memb...