Opinion: Veteran government vaccine developer says U.S. response to bird flu outbreak in cattle is ‘frustrating’

Veteran vaccine developer says U.S. response to bird flu outbreak in cattle is ‘frustrating’ Barney Graham, a former NIH vaccine developer, said U.S. agencies aren't coordinating the response to the bird flu outbreak among cows. Andrew Joseph STAT

Barney Graham, who for decades helped lead U.S. vaccine development efforts, said Wednesday that the lack of cooperation among U.S. agencies is hindering the country’s response to the H5N1 bird flu outbreak among dairy cattle, echoing criticisms that have been building over the past six months. ...

Graham, speaking at the 2024 STAT Summit in Boston, said that sometimes high-income countries criticize pandemic preparedness efforts in low-income countries, which is where most pandemic threats originate. He noted that the H5N1 outbreak in cattle, so far seen only in the U.S., is different. But he suggested the problems with the U.S. response raise concerns about any global effort that would be needed should the virus evolve to spread more efficiently among people — an outcome that could set off a pandemic.

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