News & Perspective

(CIDRAP News) – A group of scientists acting under the aegis of a vaccine research advocacy organization has asked President Obama's bioethics committee to evaluate the ethics of experiments designed to increase the transmissibility of H5N1 avian influenza viruses.

(CIDRAP News) – The National Biodefense Science Board (NBSB) during its meeting today took on two new tasks: to help guide federal efforts to improve situational awareness for potential public health emergencies and to help work out a strategy for improving and modernizing the management of the government's Strategic National Stockpile (SNS).

(CIDRAP News) – Reauthorization of the Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA), which has cleared a US House committee, now awaits relatively minor tweaking before final House and Senate approval, a representative for the US Health and Humans Services (HHS) said today at a biodefense advisory committee.

(CIDRAP News) – An expert panel that advises the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today supported the idea of moving quickly on pandemic H1N1 vaccine production with a goal of having "tens of millions of doses" available in September instead of October.