Risks of Worsening Flu Season After Trump Pulls U.S. Out of WHO
WASHINGTON D.C. —This week, the World Health Organization (WHO) is convening experts to analyze data on global flu virus circulation and make recommendations on the composition of next year’s flu vaccine and pandemic preparedness. The conference comes only a month after President Trump issued an executive order to pull the U.S. out of WHO.
A new Public Citizen report outlines how disengaging from WHO could impact U.S. flu season and pandemic flu preparedness. The report outlines what’s at stake:
- U.S. participation in WHO’s Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS), a collaborative model led by the WHO for sharing viruses and data, bolsters U.S. preparedness for both seasonal and pandemic flu.
- WHO vaccine recommendations guide national decision-making on the composition of flu vaccines.
- Seasonal flu vaccine manufacturing follows a tight timeline. Any delay in selecting the strains for next year’s U.S. flu vaccine could significantly impact U.S. supply and delivery.
- The CDC estimates that last flu season, vaccination prevented 9.8 million flu-related illnesses, 4.8 million medical visits, 120,000 hospitalizations and 7,900 deaths
- Seasonal flu vaccine manufacturing follows a tight timeline. Any delay in selecting the strains for next year’s U.S. flu vaccine could significantly impact U.S. supply and delivery.
- Extended U.S. disengagement from global flu surveillance and response could have far-reaching consequences, potentially leading to less effective vaccines and making the world more vulnerable to pandemic threats.
The Trump administration has introduced significant uncertainty into standard U.S. public health processes, leaving experts and advocates posing several questions about seasonal and pandemic U.S. flu response. WHO confirmed earlier this month that the CDC had stopped sharing seasonal flu data in recent weeks. Adding to confusion, the U.S. CDC and FDA are reportedly attending this week’s WHO convening virtually.
Public Citizen Access to Medicines Researcher Megan Whiteman, who authored the report, said the U.S. must prioritize fully re-engaging with WHO.
“Withdrawing the U.S. from WHO undermines the flu surveillance network, and the protection it offers us all,” said Whiteman. “Flu is a killer and a burden on families. The United States invested in creating effective protection against flu by helping draw together timely data from the broadest possible network, all led by WHO. The U.S. on its own captures data from many fewer countries, which could contribute to less effective vaccines. The Trump administration’s recklessness so far leaves unanswered many critical questions about how it intends to protect Americans’ health. The U.S. must fully re-engage with WHO or risk the very foundations of infectious disease response, and with it, public health.”