We aren’t doing enough about the risk of bird flu – but we can | CNN

The United States’ response to H5N1 – “bird flu” – has been fragmented and inadequate. With three cases reported in people in the United States and clusters from Michigan to Texas, it’s clear that the virus is widespread among animals. To protect people, animals, and our economy, and to restore trust in public health, we need to get this right....

We have a lot to learn and no time to lose. First, states and national authorities must work with one another. This will require multiple federal agencies – including CDC, USDA, APHIS – and their state counterparts to share information transparently and in real time with each other and with the public. Second, Congress needs to provide resources to respond to the next pandemic and also for systems, workforce, and infrastructure so we are prepared to stop new and unknown events before they become epidemics. Third, and perhaps most importantly, we must quickly build relationships with farm owners and workers by being responsive to their needs and addressing questions and concerns.

...

Finland to offer bird flu vaccine to select groups of people, a possible global first Finland is set to potentially become the first country to offer bird flu vaccine to people at risk of exposure to the virus. Andrew Joseph STAT

...

The vaccine campaign will be limited, with doses set to be available to groups including poultry farmers, veterinarians, scientists who study the virus, and people who work on fur farms housing animals like mink and fox and where there have been outbreaks.

...

Migrants must be a focus of catch-up vaccination campaigns, warn global health experts

More needs to be done to ensure migrant communities are a key focus of receiving vital routine vaccinations to ensure health equity. That is according to Dr. Sally Hargreaves from St George's, University of London, whose research is published as part of the new migrant health Series in The Lancet Regional Health—Europe and is speaking at a World Health Assembly side event at The Geneva Health Forum.

...

Study shows vaccination lowers risk of long COVID COVID-19 patients vaccinated against the novel coronavirus were less likely to have symptoms of post-COVID condition (PCC), or long COVID, according to a new study in Nature Communications. CIDRAP

...

In other long-COVID research news, a study in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases describes new estimates of long-COVID incidence and clinical study trends in a number of regions.