News & Perspective

(CIDRAP News) – The National Biodefense Science Board today capped a hurried review by recommending that the federal government launch a major effort to better focus its activities to develop medical countermeasures (MCMs) for chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) threats, starting by choosing at least three new countermeasures for priority efforts.

(CIDRAP News) – The US government needs much closer collaboration with private industry—like the arrangements used in building aircraft carriers and putting men on the moon—in order to improve the nation's medical defenses against biological, chemical, radiological, and nuclear threats, says a report from a federal advisory panel.

(CIDRAP News) – A committee that advises the US Department of Health and Human Services on biodefense issues took the first steps today to meet the tough assignment of analyzing the challenges facing HHS's medical countermeasures program and completing a report by Mar 26.

(CIDRAP News) – A comprehensive review of the nation's tools for reducing the impact of a biological weapons attack or other public health emergency—prompted in part by last fall's delays in delivery of the pandemic H1N1 vaccine—is due to get under way in the next few weeks with a pair of conferences.