Trump shortens mRNA contract, former officials claim,impacting US biosecurity further.
Shit Show: America's Blow to Pandemic Preparedness
The Trump administration's scrapping of $766 million in contracts for developing mRNA vaccines against potential pandemic flu viruses is yet another blow to our national defense, according to former health security officials. They warn that the U.S., with its reduced preparedness, could well be at the mercy of other countries during the next pandemic.
"The administration's moves cripple our defense against biological threats," said Beth Cameron, a senior adviser at Brown University's Pandemic Center and a former director at the White House National Security Council. "Canceling this investment signals a change in our stance on pandemic preparedness — and that's not good for the American people."
Last century, flu pandemics claimed up to 103 million lives worldwide, researchers estimate.
In anticipation of the next big one, the U.S. government strengthened its pandemic flu defenses during the George W. Bush administration. These strategies, devised by the security council, BARDA at the Department of Health and Human Services, among others, aimed to quickly roll out vaccines during a pandemic. Speed was crucial; it relied on domestic production, safety assurance, and swift distribution through the nation's public health system.
The Trump administration imperils each of these steps as it weakens health agencies, reduces research and health budgets, and issues puzzling policy changes, health security experts say.
Since Trump took office, over half of the security council's staff have either been laid off or have left, and the future of BARDA is up in the air. The nation's top vaccine adviser, Peter Marks, resigned under pressure in March, citing the "unprecedented assault on scientific truth."
Most recently, Trump's seizure of funds for mRNA vaccine development puts Americans at risk in the next pandemic, leaving them less prepared. "When the need arises and we're not ready, no other country will come to our aid, and we'll suffer greatly," said Rick Bright, an immunologist and former BARDA director.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, countries that produced their own vaccines had first dibs on the shots. While the U.S., home to Moderna and Pfizer, released second doses of mRNA vaccines in 2021, hundreds of thousands of people in countries that didn't manufacture vaccines died waiting for them.
The bird flu virus H5N1, the most pressing pandemic threat today, has been spreading among animals across the U.S. This virus has evolved to thrive in cells like ours, placing livestock at greater risk. The Biden administration has funded Moderna to develop bird flu vaccines using mRNA technology. As part of the agreement, the U.S. government would have the option to purchase doses before a pandemic. Unfortunately, that's no longer the case.
Developing bird flu vaccines in other ways can take up to 10 months after the genetic sequence of a variant is known, Bright said. Relying on eggs presents another risk due to the potential for a pandemic to wipe out billions of chickens, thus crashing egg supplies. Decades-old methods that rely on inactivated flu viruses are riskier for researchers and take longer.
Culling research efforts, stripping budgets, and issuing questionable policies put the U.S. at risk of longer response times during a pandemic, resulting in more lives lost.
Sources:1. Trump Administration Guts Health Research and Pandemic Preparedness Efforts2. Moderna vacuna contra la gripe aviar: ¿economía en riesgo?3. Analysis of the Trans-Atlantic Business Council's Response to the H1N1 Influenza A Pandemic4. Losses associated with pandemic influenza: The impact of the H1N1 pandemic on the U.S. economy5. The Impact of COVID-19 on the U.S. Healthcare System: An Overview
- The reduction in research and health budgets under the Trump administration could impact the nation's response to medical-conditions like the next pandemic, witnessing a potential increase in lives lost.
- The Trump administration's policy changes have led to a weakened health-and-wellness system, potentially compromising the U.S.'s capacity to deal promptly with international health crises such as pandemics.
- The scrapping of funding for developing mRNA vaccines against potential pandemic flu viruses is a step that undermines America's defense and international standing in science and technology, specifically in the field of medical-conditions.
- The cessation of contracts for mRNA vaccine development, as well as the reduction in research budgets and dismissal of key personnel, might endanger the country's preparedness in dealing with future pandemics and other medical-conditions.
- The administration's decision to seize funds intended for mRNA vaccine development for other purposes could leave the U.S. at a disadvantage during the next pandemic, as countries that produce their vaccines will have priority access, much like the COVID-19 pandemic situation.
