The Trump administration has disrupted the U.S. response to bird flu as the outbreak worsens, leading to confusion and concern among federal staff, state officials, veterinarians, and health experts.
According to Reuters, since President Donald Trump took office on January 20, two federal agencies responsible for monitoring and responding to the epidemic have withheld bird flu reports and canceled congressional briefings and meetings with state health officials. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) withheld two weekly reports, one on bird flu transmission and another on surveillance, and canceled several meetings on bird flu with state officials.
The CDC and U.S. Department of Agriculture held no congressional briefings for three weeks, and the USDA did not respond to a state official’s request for information on a new program to protect the nation’s food supply. The result has been anxiety among federal health staff that critical information about bird flu will not be disseminated in a timely manner or at all, even as more people and livestock test positive for the virus.
Reports over the weekend however, indicated that the Trump administration is getting ready to announce a new plan to battle bird flu. Kevin Hassett, the director of the National Economic Council, told CBS on Sunday that he and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins will present a plan to President Trump this week.
CNN reported on Sunday that last week, the USDA gave conditional approval to a bird flu vaccine for use in chickens, according to the vaccine’s maker, Zoetis. Several countries already vaccinate chickens against bird flu.