Welcome to this week’s Pandora Report! This issue highlights new bipartisan policy recommendations for strengthening defenses against biological threats, rising measles and avian influenza outbreaks, politicized vaccine changes in the U.S. and abroad, and emerging risks at the intersection of science and security.
Thinking about Getting a Master’s in Biodefense?
GMU’s Schar School of Policy and Government has an upcoming recruitment event:
When Politics Overrides Public Health: Implications for Vaccine Access and Trust
By Carmen Shaw, Co-Managing Editor of the Pandora Report
Recent reports highlight how declining public trust in vaccines and politicized health policies are contributing to serious public health risks in the U.S. and abroad. South Carolina is currently experiencing the largest measles outbreak since the disease was declared eliminated in 2000, following the widespread success of the highly effective 2-dose MMR vaccination program that once ended sustained transmission. With 789 reported cases and at least 18 adults and children hospitalized, this outbreak has now surpassed a similar surge in West Texas last year and reflects a broader national pattern of declining vaccination rates and growing vaccine hesitancy.
At the federal level, vaccine policy has become increasingly entangled with political motivations. The Trump administration has pressured Gavi, the global vaccine alliance, to phase out vaccines containing thimerosal, a preservative used in vaccines that has long been proven safe, in order to obtain continued funding. Despite extensive scientific evidence rejecting links between thimerosal and autism, this decision reflects persistent and damaging anti-vaccine rhetoric currently being spread across the U.S. political environment. Multi-dose vaccines for diseases such as diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough, rely on thimerosal to prevent contamination and maintain vaccine effectiveness, particularly in low-income and humanitarian settings. These recent actions from HHS mark yet another attempt by the U.S. government to undermine public confidence in global immunization programs and limit access to lifesaving vaccines worldwide.
Internationally, U.S. health diplomacy is also facing growing resistance. As part of the America First Global Health Strategy, the administration has negotiated approximately $11 billion in bilateral aid agreements with more than 15 African countries, tying health funding to political, commercial, and regulatory conditions. Governments and civil society groups in countries such as Nigeria, Kenya, and Uganda, amongst others, have raised concerns about religious bias, data privacy, regulatory sovereignty, and excessive U.S. influence over domestic health systems. Critics argue that these agreements weaken national autonomy and multilateral cooperation, while prioritizing U.S. commercial interests. Taken together, these developments illustrate how politicized health governance, both domestically and internationally, is reshaping vaccine access, public trust, and global health security.
Further Reading:
- “UI researcher loses grant funding amid NIH shakeup,” Avery Paterson, The Daily Illini
- “WHO chief calls 2025 a year of ‘stark contrasts’ as landmark health deals met funding cuts,” Beyza Binnur Donmez, AA
- “Democrats just handed RFK Jr. billions more than he asked for. It was a big risk,” Kelly Hooper
Colorado Declares Disaster After Bird Flu Hits Major Poultry Farm
By Margeaux Malone, Pandora Report Associate Editor
Colorado confirmed its first commercial poultry outbreak of avian influenza since mid-2024 following detection at a large egg-laying facility in Weld County. Colorado State University laboratories initially detected the virus and it was subsequently confirmed by USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory. The outbreak prompted a verbal disaster declaration from the governor’s office, with state officials emphasizing that the declaration allows agencies to better coordinate mitigation, response, and recovery efforts.
The affected Colorado facility houses approximately 1.33 million chickens, many of which will be culled to prevent the virus from spreading to other farms or wild bird populations. Egg industry representatives have indicated it is too early to determine whether the outbreak will affect consumer prices.
USDA Awards $2.5M for Feedable Avian Flu Vaccine Development
The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) continues to support funding for “innovative projects” aimed at combating HPAI. The “HPAI Poultry Innovation Grand Challenge”, first launched in early 2025, provides $100 million in investments for research into prevention, transmission, biosecurity, and vaccine development related to bird flu. Although no avian influenza vaccine has yet been authorized for widespread poultry use in the United States, the initiative reflects growing concern over the potential economic and biosecurity impacts of recurring outbreaks. This week, Binghamton University in New York announced a $2.5 million award from the fund to develop a yeast-based, feedable vaccine for poultry. The approach aims to be more affordable, shelf-stable, and easier to distribute than existing vaccine technologies, potentially strengthening outbreak prevention efforts in the future.
Iceland Detects H5N1 in Wild Birds
Icelandic authorities confirmed detection of H5N1 avian influenza in wild birds in the capital area, marking the country’s first identification of this strain since 2023. Officials believe the virus may have arrived via migratory birds, as both the United States and Europe battle ongoing outbreaks. “At this stage of the case, little is known about the origin of the infection, but it can be assumed that it recently arrived in the country with migratory birds or that it arrived last fall and remained undetected until now. Genetic studies of the virus will be carried out and may shed light on whether it is of European origin or from North America,” Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority (MAST) said in a public statement. Poultry farmers and bird owners have been advised to strengthen biosecurity measures, while the public is encouraged to report sick or dead birds.
Further Reading:
- “Poland hit by worst bird flu outbreak in 2 years,” Vladislav Vorotnikov, Poultry World
- “H5N1 bird flu outbreak enters fourth year in U.S.,” Patrick Cooley, Farm and Dairy
- “Columbia to Test New Strategy for Curbing Bird Flu on Poultry Farms,” Columbia University
- “South Korea imports eggs to restore avian flu-hit supply,” Jackie Linden, WATTPoultry
In Other News
AI, Automation and Engineering Biology
- “Bridging the Digital to Physical Divide: Evaluating LLM Agents on Benchtop DNA Acquisition,” Kyle Brady, Jeffrey Lee, Dawid Maciorowski, Alyssa Worland, Jordan Despanie, Bria Persaud, Barbara Del Castello, Henry Alexander Bradley, Grant Ellison, Charles Teague, et al., RAND
- “Revolution or Evolution? How AI is Reshaping the WMD Proliferation Landscape,” Natasha Bajema, Mara Zarka, and Minh Ly, Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation (VCDNP)
- “A survey into the use of AI in Engineering Biology,” Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
- “What the Rise of AI Scientists May Mean for Human Research,” Claudia Lopez Lloreda, Undark
Biosecurity, Dual-Use and Laboratory Risks
- “1 person is arrested after a suspected biolab is found at Las Vegas home,” AP News
- “LVMPD and FBI Provide Update on Joint Investigation,” Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department
- “1,000 samples sent for testing after possible biological lab found inside Las Vegas home: FBI,” Aaron Katersky, Sasha Pezenik, Alex Stone, Jack Date and Josh Margolin, ABC News
- “Gain-of-function virology as dual-use research of concern: Variations of securitization in the United States,” Alexander Kelle and Malcolm Danda, Politics Life Science
- “Foreign entities using ‘academic cooperation’ as cover to illicitly obtain China’s biological samples: Ministry of State Security,” Global Times
- “Creating Enforceable Biosecurity Standards for Nucleic Acid Providers,” Jacob Beal and Tessa Alexanian, Wiley
- “Business owners tied to home bio lab probe face federal case for test kit scheme,” Spencer Levering, Las Vegas Review-Journal
- “Cotton, Klobuchar Introduce Bill to Establish Federal Biotech Security Framework,” Tom Cotton
- “Toxic Lies: Why Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Disinformation Matters,” Katy Carroll, Mariana Diaz-Garcia, and Francesco Marelli, Skeptical Inquirer
- “Pressure mounts to probe alleged SAF chemical attacks,” The Sudan Times
Pandemic Preparedness, Public Health and Surveillance
- “The Secret Weapon in Canada’s Sewers,” Eric Arts, Maclean’s
- “The Next Crisis Won’t Wait: Why Pandemic Preparedness Is a Business Imperative,” Nathan Paxton and Rachel Staley Grant, NTI
- “Defending Against the Next Bioweapon: the mRNA Imperative,” Jeff Coller, War on the Rocks
- “NYC Health + Hospitals Launches Special Pathogens Biopreparedness Map to Monitor and Prepare for Outbreaks,” NYC Health and Hospitals
- “Return of the pox: How smallpox eradication cleared the way for new threats,” Maeva Cullinan, The Telegraph
Poisoned Weapons: Toxic Ammunition (American Weapons of Mass Destruction)
Reid Kirby’s new book, Toxic Ammunition is the second installment of a four-part exploration into America’s poisoned weapons. This book is a deep dive into the fascinating history of aromatic carbamates, a class of chemical compounds weaponized during World War II. This book explores their origins, beginning with the discovery of physostigmine in West Africa, which advanced the understanding of neurotransmission, and transitions into their transformation into nerve agents by global powers. The narrative follows the secretive research of the United States’ Office of Scientific Research and Development (OSRD), uncovering their pursuit of toxic ammunition, the mysterious Atoll Problem, and the development of specialized poisoned bullets and shot. With detailed analysis of scientific breakthroughs, logistical challenges, and military applications, this work presents a gripping account of how science intersected with warfare. By blending military history, chemistry, and ethical considerations, this book offers a view of the enduring impact of chemical weapons technologies on modern warfare and society. Perfect for history and science enthusiasts alike.
This book is available in hard copy and eBook formats here.
NEW: Strengthening and Modernizing Biosafety Oversight: Region 5 Listening Session
From the NIH: The NIH is hosting a virtual listening session that brings together federal science policy leadership and biosafety professionals to solicit stakeholder input on improving the nation’s biosafety framework. Most of the hour-plus meeting is dedicated to oral comments from stakeholders, signaling an emphasis on community feedback from laboratory safety officers, institutional biosafety committees, industry representatives, and other subject matter experts. The virtual format reflects ongoing NIH efforts to engage diverse voices in shaping stronger, more responsive biosafety oversight mechanisms
This event will be held virtually on February 12 from 3:00 – 4:15 PM ET. Learn more and register here.
NEW: Public Health on the Pitch: Radiation Readiness for the FIFA World Cup
From ASTHO: “Join ASTHO for a webinar focused on public health preparedness and response related to the upcoming FIFA World Cup. This session will highlight response operations to a radiological incident during a mass gathering. The discussion will be led by Dr. Ziad Kazzi, an emergency physician and medical toxicologist with internationally recognized expertise in poisoning and radiation toxicology.
Dr. Kazzi will address key response considerations from a health department and public health lens, including triage, contamination management, radiation safety roles and detection assets, community reception centers, medical countermeasures, and more. There will be time for a Q&A session to address questions from attendees.”
This event will take place virtually on February 24 from 1:00 – 2:00 PM ET. Learn more and register here.
The 100 Days Mission: Defending Against Pandemic and Biological Risks in a Fragmented World
From Foreign Policy: “The 100 Days Mission—led by CEPI and endorsed by G7 and G20 leaders—is establishing tools and capabilities to ensure that safe and effective vaccines can be developed within 100 days of a new viral threat. What will it take to embed these capabilities into national security strategies, defense planning, and sustained financing—before the next crisis tests the system? Held against the backdrop of the 2026 Munich Security Conference, Foreign Policy and CEPI will host an official side event to examine how cross-sector partnerships, shared planning, and coordinated financing can close preparedness gaps and strengthen collective defenses against future biological threats.”
This event will be held in-person in Munich, Germany, on February 14 from 9:00 – 10:30 am CET. Learn more and register here.
EBSA – Cyberbiosecurity: A Unique Marriage of Biosecurity and Information Systems
From EBSA: “Increasing reliance on the internet and technology in research and biomedical laboratories has opened these organizations up to increased focus for cyberattacks. These attacks may be perpetrated by external actors or individuals internal to the organization (purposefully or accidentally) and can take advantage of a lack of knowledge by research staff about phishing, access control best practices, and network security especially of research instrumentation, automated laboratory equipment, and building automation and control systems that may be connected to the internet/cloud. This talk will introduce the types of cyberthreats that have been commonly perpetrated against research and biomedical organizations. We will discuss existing guidance documents from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) that address critical infrastructure cybersecurity and information systems security controls and how they can be applied to all biomedical research organizations (BSL-1 through BSL-4). Finally, we will explain some of the best practices described in these documents relating to identity management and access control, awareness and training, and data security to give biorisk management and laboratory personnel a better working understanding of cyberbiosecurity.”
This event will take place virtually on Thursday, February 19 from 14:00 – 16:00 CET. Learn more and register here.
Pick Your Poison: The Enduring Threat of Biological Toxins
From the Atlantic Council: “The Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense at the Atlantic Council will host its latest meeting, mapping the threat picture of biological toxins and its implications for future biological attacks. Easy availability and control of ricin, botulinum and other toxins make them attractive weapons for use by US adversaries. This meeting of the Commission will discuss the historical and evolving threat of biological toxins and the unique scientific challenges inherent in detecting, characterizing, and attributing toxin attacks. The discussions will also touch upon the vulnerability of food and agricultural systems to toxin threats and the measures required to secure the supply chain from intentional adulteration.”
This event will take place virtually on Thursday, February 26 from 10:00 AM-4:00 PM ET. More details to come.
Johns Hopkins H5N1 Influenza Preparedness & Response Forum
From Johns Hopkins: “Join us in person for the Johns Hopkins H5N1 Influenza Preparedness & Response Forum! This Forum convenes state and local public health officials, federal agency representatives, Congressional staff, veterinarians, diagnosticians, and leading scientific researchers to address the urgent challenges posed by H5N1 and future influenza threats. H5N1 already poses a major threat to the nation’s livestock and poultry industries. If it were to acquire the ability to spread from person to person, there would be increased challenges for detection, containment, and response. This Forum will focus on actionable, science-based recommendations and foster cross-sectoral collaboration to strengthen preparedness and response capacity across the One Health spectrum.”
This event will take place in Washington, DC, on Tuesday, March 3 from 9:00 AM-5:00 PM ET. Learn more and register here.
Nexus Series: AIxBio: Workshop 2 – Strategies for Responding to Exponential AI and Biotechnology Growth
From AI for SynBio: “Background: The ever-increasing acceleration of agentic artificial intelligence (AI) and biological design tools has transformed the technological landscape, enabling tremendous benefits and potential misuse that could massively impact national security and public health. Mitigating this risk will require collaboration across Government, Industry, and Academia with both technical and policy focus. Significant effort has already been made to raise awareness of this challenge, but additional discussion is necessary to maintain pace with the speed of evolving technology. The second workshop in this series will build upon insights from our first workshop and take place over two days.”
This event will take place in Washington, DC, on March 4-5, 2026. Learn more and RSVP here.
CBRNe Convergence Canada 2026
CBRNe World is hosting its fourth CBRNe Convergence Canada event this year in Toronto! This event will focus on a range of topical issues, including responding to potential CBRN incidents in the High North, response to terrorist attacks at major sporting events, and presentations on Canadian response capabilities, and the largest CBRN/Hazmat exhibition in Canada.
This event will take place April 13-15 at the Double Tree by Hilton Hotel, Toronto Downtown. Learn more here, and stay tuned for forthcoming information about CBRNe Convergence this November in Knoxville, TN!
International Conference CBRNe Research & Innovation
From CBRNE: “The last 40 years have demonstrated that both military and civilian populations could be exposed to highly hazardous CBRNE agents following conflicts, natural outbreaks and disasters, industrial incidents or terrorist attacks. Worldwide, researchers, responders and industrial capacities have been commited to provide adapted response to these challenges. The CBRNE Research & Innovation Conference includes workshops and demonstrations of innovative materials, technologies and procedures, according to the following themes: Detection (identification), Protection (decontamination, medical countermeasures), and risk & crisis management.
This event will take place in Arcachon, France, from May 19 – 21, 2026. Learn more and RSVP here.
GHS 2026
From GHS: “We’re excited to officially announce that the 4th Global Health Security Conference (GHS2026) will be held in Kuala Lumpur on the 9 – 12 June, 2026!”
“Building on the incredible momentum of GHS2024 in Sydney, we look forward to bringing together the global health security community once again – this time in one of Southeast Asia’s most vibrant and dynamic cities.”
“Registration and Call for Abstracts are now live!”
Learn more, submit abstracts, and register here.
NEW: PPE Program Officer at Blueprint Biosecurity – Job Opening
From Blueprint Biosecurity: “Blueprint Biosecurity is seeking a full-time PPE Program Officer to join our PPE team. Reporting directly to the PPE Program Director, this role focuses on applied research, roadmapping, and strategic grantmaking to advance the availability and accessibility of highly protective respiratory PPE in future outbreaks. Responsibilities include creating research-backed reports and materials, supporting our grantmaking portfolio, and helping to scope new program directions.
This role offers significant autonomy over high-impact work — from shaping our research program to influencing the deployment of millions in philanthropic funding.”
The deadline to apply is February 11. Learn more and submit your applications here.
One Health Commission Board of Directors – Call for Applications
From OHC: “The One Health Commission (OHC) is pleased to announce an open call for board members to join our governing body. As we implement our new constitution and bylaws, we are seeking distinguished experts who embody collaborative, multi- and transdisciplinary approaches for addressing shared health challenges across human, animal, environmental, and plant health domains.”
The deadline to submit applications is February 15. Learn more and submit your application here.
OPCW Senior Science Policy Officer (AI, Data Sciences and Knowledge Management) (P-4) – Job Opening
From OPCW: “The Office of Strategy and Policy (OSP) develops the Technical Secretariat’s strategic planning and provides policy advice to the Director-General and the Secretariat’s management, particularly relating to cross-cutting issues such as incidents of chemical weapons use, non-routine missions, chemical security, engagement with international organisations and chemical industry, education and outreach, counter-terrorism, and science and technology. This role in OSP ensures that the Science Policy Adviser is provided with expert advice on advancements in science and technology, with a focus on artificial intelligence (AI) and digital sciences, through continuous monitoring and provision of specialised advice on applicability to the work of the OPCW. The individual will also help lead, coordinate, and integrate AI and data science-driven approaches and solutions to and in the work of the Secretariat. This role will also take the lead on the Organisation’s knowledge management activities, with a focus on the development and implementation of knowledge management systems and the development and application of digital tools to knowledge management processes.”
The deadline to apply is February 18. Learn more and submit your application here.
ICGEB Fellowships for Scientists in Biosecurity
From the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology: “With the co-funding of the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation through the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), BWC ISU, the ICGEB offers early-career scientists from OECD/DAC countries a fellowship at ICGEB laboratories in Italy, India, South Africa and at the ICGEB Regional Research Centre in China, to receive hands on training in life sciences and detection and response to biological threats.”
The closing date for applications is March 31, 23:59 CET. Learn more and apply here.
The Pandora Report 