Former Food and Drug Administration Administrator Scott Gottlieb and Luciana Borio, former director of medical and biodefense preparedness policy at the National Security Council, told The Washington Post on Friday that they were skeptical of the White House’s approach. I wrote an op-ed explaining the growing concerns. Eliminating bird flu mutations.
“President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team would be wise to prepare for quick action once he takes office,” the two wrote.
“The Biden administration has mishandled the cattle outbreak for months, increasing the likelihood of dangerous and widespread spread,” he added.
Gottlieb and Borio argue that President Biden should have launched a plan to address the recent outbreak with federal efforts more urgently than he did.
Human infections linked to dairy or poultry farms are rare and cause mild illness, but some say new variants could emerge in the coming years.
“In the past month alone, the Biden administration has conducted widespread testing of large quantities of raw milk to determine which cows are infected, which will allow farmers to isolate sick cows and take steps to prevent further transmission to their farms and dairy farms.” “You can,” they said. .
“The program to provide compensation to dairy farms for discovering infected cows did not begin until last summer. This is an important step to ensure livestock owners do not face financial hardship when they identify infected cows.”
Their comments echo the sentiments of the Centers for Disease Control, which has been pushing for more avian flu testing among farm workers.
While the transition of power is underway, Gottlieb and Borio expect former President Trump to ease the avian flu outbreak.
“The incoming Trump administration has an opportunity to realign public health strategy. “This must include balancing the need to respond to looming threats and communicate openly and accurately about emerging risks, while appropriately scaling the response to the risks facing Americans,” they wrote.
Trump briefly addressed USDA regulations and farmers’ concerns in a “Make America Healthy Again” promo as he wrapped up his campaign with Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The former president has not signaled any additional priorities for the department or the avian flu variant since then. But Gottlieb and Borio encourage leaders to do just that amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Every modern president has faced a major public health crisis. During his first term, Trump faced the initial wave of the coronavirus and the resulting frustration. “This has been fueled by public health agencies that have at times been too focused on containing the virus and too indifferent to costs and public backlash,” they wrote. comment.
“President Trump has an opportunity to demonstrate how public health protections can be wisely balanced against real risks to strengthen our national security and mitigate threats before they fully manifest.”
