CDC asks states and cities to keep flu surveillance at peak levels because of bird flu threat Helen Branswell By Helen Branswell May 21, 2024

CDC asks states and cities to keep flu surveillance at peak levels because of bird flu threat Helen Branswell By Helen Branswell May 21, 2024 https://www.statnews.com/2024/05/21/h5n1-bird-flu-cdc-urges-summer-flu-surveillance/?utm_campaign=morning_rounds&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_8bzrJVVKicKkNrOhvq4o6KAwUcxGEuwC9C6UrUMWfR7MNxM2XxctVT7-H3jHcydUqlvrdXnYNAzr6lekMxd12LETljg&_hsmi=308143698&utm_content=308143698&utm_source=hs_email While flu surveillance typically slows in late spring, this year will be different. STAT’s Helen Branswell reports that health officials are planning to maintain high levels of surveillance efforts through the summer due to concerns about the H5N1 bird flu virus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention asked state and local health authorities to keep a watchful eye for any signs that the virus is spreading human-to-human. Should H5N1 begin spreading among people, one of the best defenses against another pandemic will be the world’s capacity to turn into a vaccine machine. But when exactly to start loading cargo ships with vaccines is a tricky question. “Get it right and you save lives. Hesitate, and lives will be lost. But making the call if the vaccine turns out not to be needed is not a cost-free decision either,” Branswell writes. Read more about how public health leaders and manufacturers weigh the odds. When should we start making H5N1 vaccine, and who will make that decision? In short, it’s complicated Helen Branswell By Helen Branswell May 22, 2024 https://www.statnews.com/2024/05/22/h5n1-bird-flu-vaccine-questions-and-answers/?utm_campaign=morning_rounds&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8zYPOFuIRhw-545oyV0DSJSPl0TeN6HayZBMNClYgO7660XwRTn_7iGVF9lzUWntZbEU5GhtB2q1bY70pgL9pNienbJA&_hsmi=308143698&utm_content=308143698&utm_source=hs_email