"In national security terms, mRNA is the equivalent of a missile defense system for biology. The ability to rapidly design, produce and deploy medical countermeasures is as vital to our defense as any military capability." writes @rickabright.bsky.social
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/18/o...

mRNA is about much more than #COVID. It's the frontline of America’s defense against #pandemics and #biothreats. Turning away now would leave us unprepared and vulnerable.
My essay in the NYT: www.nytimes.com/2025/08/18/o...

We cannot afford to abandon a breakthrough that saved millions.

mRNA vaccines were the fastest way out of the pandemic, proving safe, effective, and adaptable for the future. The real risk now is choosing politics over science.

Read my @nytimes essay:
👉 www.nytimes.com/2025/08/18/o...

BARDA invested in mRNA technology precisely because it could deliver safe, scalable vaccines in record time, a capability proven during COVID.
By dismantling that platform, we’re crippling our front-line defense, just ahead of unknown biological threats.
www.hhs.gov/press-room/h...

🚨a truly remarkable milestone for the prevention of serious influenza infection. Data appear to be better than any flu vaccine over past decade or more. 🤞additional studies can move quickly, & data remain strong.
H/t Cidara Therapeutics team 🙏
www.science.org/content/arti...

Huge mistake to kill the only platform able to match speed and scale of a pandemic…as shown in 2020 and will be needed again for #H5N1. Very dangerous decision made to defund progress. Very bad msg sent to industry partners, too. L
www.statnews.com/2025/05/28/m...

Prepare now for a potential H5N1 pandemic | Science @rickabright.bsky.social

www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Posted a longer form summary of recent H5N1 updates yesterday, in short, things are going in the wrong direction:

www.reddit.com/r/H5N1_Avian...

Partial sequence from the Wyoming case (hospitalized with respiratory/non-respiratory symptoms, released) uploaded to GISAID today, w/ PB2 E627K mutation (mammalian adaptation).

Outside of the BC case, I don't think this mutation's been ID'd in any US-based human case since Texas (Apr. 2, 2024).

While the APHIS tracking sites are down, going to take the opportunity to plug my H5N1 dashboard, which is not down. Updated through Jan. 12, I recently added the ability to view all dairy herd infections by date on hover. I'll update again as soon as I can access APHIS sites:

bit.ly/H5N1_Dashboard

🚨Another person infected with #H5N1, this time in Ohio. Apparently a person working with deceased poultry. No details yet on the condition of the person or virus details.

Grateful for Ohio Dept of Health for quick alert.

odh.ohio.gov/media-center...

BREAKING: VIRUS FROM NEVADA DAIRY WORKER WITH BIRD FLU HAS THE SAME GENETIC MUTATION seen in the Nevada cows – a change of PB2 D701N that has previously been assoc with more efficient virus replication in ppl & mammals.

CDC told Fortune that the D1.1 variant in this worker is the same strain of

32 days until the government runs out of money

Democratic are about to have a lot of leverage

Not clear they’ll use it

We have never been closer to a pandemic from #H5N1 virus. Yet, we are still not doing enough to prevent it or to reduce the impact when it hits.

fortune.com/well/2025/02...

@cbarbermd.bsky.social @fortune.com @scottehensley.bsky.social @angierasmussen.bsky.social

We have never been closer to a pandemic from #H5N1 virus. Yet, we are still not doing enough to prevent it or to reduce the impact when it hits.

fortune.com/well/2025/02...

@cbarbermd.bsky.social @fortune.com @scottehensley.bsky.social @angierasmussen.bsky.social

RFK Jr's confirmation hearings are happening next week - Senate Finance Committee scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 29 at 10am; we're told by Senate HELP Committee spokesman that they intend to schedule their hearing for Thursday, Jan. 30 www.finance.senate.gov/ranking-memb...

This is a concern. The only way we’re going to be able to prevent or control an outbreak will be through collaboration & transparency. No transparency = no trust, making it impossible to unite against a deadly virus. Now is the time we should focus on collaboration, transparency, & trust.

Huge concern to see more human cases w/ increasing severity of #H5N1 respiratory infections. @gavinnewsom.bsky.social emergency declaration is the right move to help get in front of the outbreak. The virus is changing, urgent action needed to stop it. @fortune.com @cbarbermd.bsky.social

Hello all. I’ve joined and not sure how to find everyone. I hope to reconnect w/ everyone that followed me & I followed on other site. Let me know you’re here. Let’s work together to save lives.