Amidst widespread H5N1 outbreaks, experts call for an immediate and structured response to influenza threats, highlighting the need for voluntary vaccination, improved vaccine stockpiles, and global cooperation to enhance pandemic preparedness and response.
As the global risk of H5N1 influenza escalates with outbreaks affecting various species and spreading across continents, including the U.S., three international experts in vaccines and public health are advocating for a comprehensive and well-funded strategy to tackle this and future potential pandemic flu threats. They suggest considering voluntary vaccinations for those currently at risk of exposure.
“At this critical juncture, decisions about vaccine development, stockpiling, and deployment will shape our ability to respond to immediate and future pandemic risks,” write Jesse Goodman, MD, PhD; Rick A. Bright, PhD; and Nicole Lurie, MD, MSPH, in a JAMA Viewpoint published Sept. 4.
The current outbreak of H5N1 in North America has infected poultry, cows, wild birds, and marine and terrestrial mammals, along with at least 13 humans, primarily on dairy and poultry farms. No human-to-human transmission has been reported.
“It is highly concerning that this H5N1 strain, compared with prior ones, has had unprecedented spread among mammals,” says Goodman. “Although human cases have so far been relatively mild, the threat of a pandemic is real, given the virus’s widespread and continued presence close to humans and its potential to reassort with human influenza viruses or mutate to acquire the ability to transmit among humans.”
Goodman is a professor of medicine at Georgetown University School of Medicine and former FDA Chief Scientist; Bright is a principal with Bright Global Health former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response and the Director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA); and Lurie is executive director for Preparedness and Response at the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and Director of CEPI-US and former Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Focusing on vaccines, Goodman and his colleagues outline short, medium, and long-term actions to combat the H5N1 risk: protect exposed individuals and reduce pandemic risk; refresh vaccine stockpiles and enhance capacity; lay the groundwork for mitigating future threats.
Short term
The authors note that the U.S. government is readying 4.8 million doses of stockpiled H5N8 vaccine, which is expected to offer cross-protection against current H5N1 strains.
As a short term consideration, the writers say, “Provided adequate supporting data and regulatory review, stockpiled vaccine(s) should be offered voluntarily to individuals at exposure risk.” Those at risk include farm workers with close contact to animals.
Medium term
In the medium term, the authors stress the importance of ensuring that vaccine stockpiles are refreshed with doses well matched to circulating viruses. The goal is to ensure that at least 20 million individuals, particularly critical workforce members, can be rapidly immunized in the event of a pandemic.
In addition, the public health trio calls for taking steps now to ready and enhance global pandemic influenza vaccine development and production capacity, including evaluating the potential of mRNA vaccines, which offer faster and more scalable manufacturing processes.
Long term
Looking further ahead, Goodman and his colleagues advocate for the exploration of pre-pandemic immunization strategies. This could involve vaccinating high-risk groups during interpandemic periods to build population immunity against potential pandemic strains, a strategy that, while unproven, could significantly mitigate the impact of future pandemics.
Finally, the authors call on elected officials, governments, global partners and the private sector to address H5N1 and other pandemic influenza threats through a comprehensive strategy for human and animal health encompassing pandemic vaccines as well as diagnostics, therapies, and non-pharmaceutical interventions. They note that the convergence of health and agricultural concerns, including protecting workers, farm animals, and the economy, presents an opportunity to transcend divides.
They conclude, “The time for decisive action is not when a pandemic strikes, but today, while we have the opportunity.”
Reference: “H5 Influenza Vaccines—Moving Forward Against Pandemic Threats” by Jesse L. Goodman, Rick A. Bright and Nicole Lurie, 4 September 2024, JAMA.
DOI: 10.1001/jama.2024.17488
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4 Comments
Well if that is not ” Gaslighting ” I don’t know what is! All that they want is to stick another needle in you. Before you know it, they will have a vaccine to cure the symptoms of life. But, that’s called murder isn’t it!
And 15 minute Cities will be called Jones towns or ” Prisons ” if you can’t leave them!
Stay health People your life depends on it….
As a now eighty year old American male who never got vaccinated for Covid-19 or caught it, with Goodman being a “…former FDA Chief Scientist…” dealing with the now alleged H5N1 virus, this is truly a case of the ‘fox guarding the hen house.’ Most of the alleged ‘victims’ of the Covid-19 ‘scamdemic’ were the “at risk” he cites, which was largely caused by FDA approved food poisoning since the early 1970s, including modified soy protein (early 1970s; with the US female breast cancer epidemic presenting by 1979), the cooking oil preservative TBHQ (1972), added artificially cultured “free” (can cross the blood brain barrier so-called “flavor enhancer” MSG (1980; with the US obesity, minimally, epidemic presenting by 1990) and the artificial sweetener aspartame (1981).
Especially concerning to me is the authors calling “…on elected officials, governments, global partners and the private sector to address H5N1 and other pandemic influenza threats through a comprehensive strategy for human and animal health encompassing pandemic vaccines as well as diagnostics, therapies, and non-pharmaceutical interventions.” for problems those agencies, groups and individuals cause in the first place. I think “Gaslighting” is too kind a label for acts of treason against America. And, didn’t they ever learn the old adage: “An ounce of prevention is worth a ‘ton’ [e.g., Covid-19] of cure?” Statistically, the total number of US deaths allegedly due to Covid-19 never exceeded what we could expect of medical errors alone during the same time frame.
BARDA, CEPI, FDA. . . well, they would say that, wouldn’t they?
They’re just itching to impose the barbaric methods from the Middle Ages on the population again, aren’t they?