The Pandora Report

This week’s Pandora Report covers the firing of CDC Director Susan Monarez, ACIP’s creation of a working group to review COVID-19 vaccines, H5N1, New World screwworm, and more.

Chaos Continues at CDC

Restef Selected to Chair New ACIP COVID-19 Vaccine Working Group

CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the committee that develops recommendations for vaccine use and has been completely filled with members selected by Secretary Kennedy, has formed a new working group to review the safety of COVID-19 vaccines. The group will be led by Restef Levi, a management and health analytics expert from MIT who holds a PhD in operations research. Levi has drawn controversy in part for his past social media posts calling for all COVID-19 vaccines to be removed from the market.

This is the latest development in a series of twists and turns in vaccine policy under Kennedy. The announcement came shortly after hundreds of CDC employees in an open letter called on Kennedy to stop spreading vaccine misinformation, which they say contributed to the shooting at CDC’s main campus in Atlanta earlier this month.

Levi’s appointment kicked off yet more turmoil at the agency. He said in an interview that he plans to “…engage a range of experts in different areas; leading scientists in academia and clinicians with field experience.” He further stated, “I’m confident that, together with colleagues at the CDC and FDA, we’ll build a robust team.”

However, many doubt this will be the case. Levi’s appointment to this role, combined with broader concerns about the planned ACIP meeting this fall, brought many tensions between Kennedy and CDC leadership to a head this week, culminating in the firing of Susan Monarez and the resignation of multiple other top CDC officials.

Monarez Fired as Director, Several Other Top Officials Resign

Secretary Kennedy called former CDC Director Susan Monarez to his office in Washington earlier this week to giver her an ultimatum: fire career CDC officials and commit to backing his team if they recommended restricting access to vaccines, or risk being fired herself. Monarez had identified two red lines she refused to cross prior to her firing, according to Richard Besser, CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and former acting CDC director. Besser told Politico, “She said that there were two things she would never do in the job,” Besser said. “She said she was asked to do both of those, one in terms of firing her leadership, who are talented civil servants like herself, and the other was to rubber stamp [vaccine] recommendations that flew in the face of science, and she was not going to do either of those things.”

This prompted a public standoff later this week as Monarez refused to resign. HHS announced on X that she was “no longer” serving as CDC director. However, Monarez was the first CDC director to require Senate confirmation after nomination under a 2023 law. As her lawyer explained, this made her both a presidential appointee and Senate confirmed officer, meaning only the president had the ability to fire her.

Following this, Monarez’s lawyers disputed HHS’ claim she was no longer CDC director, saying that Monarez “has neither resigned nor received notification from the White House that she has been fired, and as a person of integrity and devoted to science, she will not resign.”

They also said, “It is about the systematic dismantling of public health institutions, the silencing of experts, and the dangerous politicization of science. The attack on Dr. Monarez is a warning to every American: Our evidence-based systems are being undermined from within.”

The White House later announced that President Trump has fired Monarez, and that a replacement nominee will be announced soon. Deputy HHS Secretary Jim O’Neill has been selected to serve as acting CDC director, according to CBS News.

In response to this latest round of chaos, multiple senior officials at CDC resigned in protest. Two of those, Debra Houry and Demetre Daskalakis, resigned on Wednesday, hours after the White House announced Monarez had been fired. Houry was CDC’s Chief Science and Medical Officer, while Daskalakis led the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. Both indicated they had become increasingly concerned about how vaccine policy is being handled, pointing to preparations being made for the upcoming ACIP meeting.

Houry said they feared “…some decisions had been made before there was even the data or the science to support those. We are scientists, and that was concerning to us.” Meanwhile, Daskalakis said he was “very concerned that there’s going to be an attempt to re-litigate vaccines that have already had clear recommendations with science that has been vetted. If you can’t attack access, then why not attack trust? And that’s what I think the playbook is.”

Daskalakis specifically cited the document announcing the creation of the COVID-19 Immunization Workgroup in his resignation.

Daniel Jernigan, former Director of the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, and Jennifer Layden, former Director of the Office of Public Health Data, also resigned in response to this latest row. Three of the four were escorted out of CDC’s main campus by security guards before a planned send-off by agency staff could be held.

The resignation of these four leaders prompted Sen. Bill Cassidy, who cast a pivotal vote to confirm RFK Jr., to call for a delay in the upcoming ACIP meeting. In a statement, Cassidy said, “These decisions directly impact children’s health and the meeting should not occur until significant oversight has been conducted.”

Further Reading:

• “5 Big Collisions Between RFK Jr. and CDC Scientists Before Director was Fired,” David Ovalle and Victoria Bisset, The Washington Post
• “‘It Feels Like the CDC Is Over,'” Tom Bartlett, The Atlantic
• “Inside the C.D.C., a Growing Sense of Despair,” Apoorva Mandavailli, The New York Times
• “As Measles Exploded, Officials in Texas Looked to CDC Scientists. Under Trump, No One Answered,” Amy Maxmen, KFF Health News
• “Trump’s Global Health Cuts Upend CDC’s Malaria Work,” Sophie Gardner and Kelly Hooper, Politico
• “Former CDC Director William Foege: How Public Health Can Fight Back in a Time of Dangerous Nonsense,” William Foege, STAT News
• “How Vaccine Policy, Including for Coronavirus, Has Changed Under RFK Jr.,” Lena H. Sun, Lauren Weber, and Rachel Roubein, The Washington Post
• “The ‘Strangling Angel’ Returns? RFK Jr.’s Policies Could Foster a Resurgence of Now-Rare Diseases,” Jennifer Herricks, The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
• “Blue States That Sued Kept Most CDC Grants, While Red States Feel Brunt of Trump Clawbacks,” Henry Larweh, Rachana Pradhan, and Rae Ellen Bichell, KFF Health News
• “The CDC Quietly Scaled Back a Surveillance Program for Foodborne Illnesses,” Aria Bendix, NBC News

Avian Influenza Updates and More

By Margeaux Malone, Pandora Report Associate Editor 

From Dairy Farms to Backyard Flocks: Mapping America’s H5N1 Risk

Between March 2024 and May 2025, the U.S. confirmed 70 human infections with H5N1 bird flu, with four hospitalizations and one death. A recent study published in Nature Medicine takes a systematic look at these cases to determine who was affected, how they were infected, and if we should yet be concerned for human-to-human transmission of this typically highly fatal zoonotic disease.

The study, led by Melissa Rolfes and colleagues at CDC, found that nearly all cases were linked to direct contact with animals. Most cases (59%) involved dairy workers, while another third occurred during culling of infected flocks of commercial poultry. Almost all of the patients (91%) identified as Hispanic or Latino, reflecting the agricultural workforce bearing the brunt of exposure risk. Two cases linked to backyard poultry proved particularly severe, both required hospitalization and with unfortunately one fatality. These two cases more closely resembled the historic global pattern of H5N1 severity, suggesting backyard flock exposure may carry higher risks than those infected on commercial farms. The timing also coincided with USDA reports of increasing detections in backyard flocks, underscoring risks for hobbyist poultry keepers who may be less aware of the hazards and have less access to protective equipment or controls.

The good news? No human-to-human transmission was detected among 180 household contacts tested, and genetic analysis shows the virus retains avian characteristics rather than adapting for mammalian spread. CDC’s genetic sequencing efforts have identified only sporadic mutations associated with mammalian adaptation or slightly reduced antiviral susceptibility, but nothing suggesting enhanced human transmissibility. That doesn’t mean the virus won’t get there, but it is certainly comforting to know that the current risk to the general population appears low.

No new U.S. human infections have been reported since February 2025, potentially due to seasonal patterns in animal outbreaks which waned into spring and summer. However, with continued international outbreaks in commercial and backyard poultry, surveillance is just as critical as ever as we approach the fall flu season.

Further Reading:

• “Bird Flu in the US: Seventy Human Cases, Mostly Mild, But with Warning Signs,” John Drake, Forbes
• “U.S. trust in physicians as key public health messengers during the H5N1 avian influenza outbreak,” Rachael Piltch-Loeb, et al, Scientific Reports

Screwworm Secrecy: Government Transparency Under Fire

The first U.S. human New World screwworm (NWS) case since eradication efforts began has recovered, but the handling of this milestone reveals troubling communication gaps. The Maryland patient, who traveled from Central America, was confirmed to have a case of travel-associated NWS myiasis by CDC on August 4, yet the public wasn’t informed until August 24, nearly three weeks later.

This delay has sparked sharp criticism from cattle ranchers already on edge about the flesh-eating parasite’s northward spread through Mexico. “It’s irresponsible and tone deaf,” says Neal Wilkins, CEO of the conservation and cattle group East Foundation. He warns that such secrecy erodes the trust needed for effective outbreak response, stating, “It will cause many producers and landowners, wildlife managers, to simply begin to believe that they’re not being fed the whole story.”

Ranchers’ concerns are well-founded given the immense potential economic impact if the outbreak crosses the border. A screwworm outbreak in Texas alone, the biggest U.S. cattle-producing state, could cost $1.8 billion. USDA has already halted Mexican cattle imports and committed $750 million for a sterile fly production facility, but critics question whether selective information sharing with industry insiders while keeping others in the dark is the right approach.

Cattle futures dropped following news of the case, highlighting how disease transparency directly impacts markets. While there’s no evidence of transmission to other people or animals, and U.S. cattle remain disease-free, the episode emphasizes the importance of timely public health communication. In an era where trust in institutions faces constant pressure, delayed disclosure of significant disease events, even recovered cases, risks undermining the collaborative response these emerging threats demand.

Further Reading:

• “Rare, Flesh-Eating Parasite Confirmed in US For First Time in Decades,” Carly Cassella, Science Alert
• “Historical Economic Impact Estimates of New World Screwworm in the United States,” U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
• “New World Screwworm: Re-Emergence in the Americas and Prevention Efforts,” Benedette Cuffari, News-Medical

“Why We Still Don’t Know where COVID-19 Came Form. And Why We Need to Find Out.”

Gustavo Palacios, Adolfo García-Sastre, and David A. Relman authored this article for The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists in which they discuss China’s COVID-19 response and the country’s obligations under the International Health Regulations. They write in part, “SAGO explicitly called for detailed records from several countries, especially China, but also Germany and the United States. While we can reasonably assume that the United States and Germany withheld portions of the requested intelligence to protect sources, methods, or collection practices, China withheld information that in most countries is treated as publicly available health information, such as early viral genome sequences, laboratory safety documentation, and detailed environmental samples from animal markets. We recognize that some of these data may be politically sensitive, as it relates to wildlife trade regulations or national biosecurity programs. Nonetheless, during a pandemic, China’s obligations under the International Health Regulations must take precedence.”

“The Sarin Shortcut: How AI Lowers the Bar for Chemical Weapons”

Ash Jogalekar recently published this article in The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, writing in part, “By enabling three-dimensional similarity searches, AI-guided planning of chemical synthesis routes, and predictions of how chemical warfare agents work in the body at a molecular level and at massive scale, these tools can identify unlisted but functionally equivalent precursors and products. Combined with large language model-based prompt engineering, today’s technologies can lower the obstacles to designing novel agents. Current regulatory barriers—including lists that categorize harmful substances—are not designed for this fast-moving frontier. Unless regulatory bodies evolve into adaptive systems that model the effects and not just the molecular structures of these compounds, the static lists of these organizations will lag dangerously behind technological advances. Those regulatory organizations can use AI, which is the instrument leading humans into this threat to begin with, to counter it.”

“Inside the Hot Zone: OPCW Trains Experts with Live Chemical Agents”

This post from OPCW describes how the organization, in collaboration with Slovakia, conducted an advanced live-agent training course in June. It explains how 18 international experts donned protective gear to train in a live hot zone, gaining hands-on experience in handling CW agents. The trainings included exercises in detection, sample collection, decontamination, and emergency response and aimed to build muscle memory, judgement, and confidence.

“Our Storied Health Film and Media Series”

From Brown Pandemic Center: “In a time of growing mistrust in science and heightened political division, Our Storied Health—a groundbreaking film and media series curated by Dr. Jennifer Nuzzo and Dr. Jennifer Galvin as part of the Brown Arts IGNITE initiative—aims to transform public health communication by blending artistic storytelling with scientific insight. Through screenings and discussions of five independent films on critical health issues, the project encourages a shift from outdated, politicized messaging to innovative, trust-building approaches. This effort offers a vital roadmap to restore confidence in public health and marks the beginning of a broader movement to reimagine how we communicate to protect and improve community well-being.”

Read about the series here.

What We’re Listening To 🎧

Biosecurity: Changing the Game, Part II – Germ-Wars, Treaties, and Global Trust: Demystifying the Biological Weapons Convention

“In the second part of this conversation, Dr. Dinah Nasike, Dr. Alex Kyabarongo (a veterinarian, former Political Affairs Intern at the Biological Weapons Convention, and currently a Masters of Biodefense Candidate at the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University) and Sandra Matinyi (Biosecurity Game Changers Fellow and the Executive Director of Nuo Bioscience, Uganda) continue their discussion of Biological Weapons Convention.”

Listen here.

Entanglements by Undark, Kicking Off Season 2: Should We Make Viruses More Dangerous – For Science?

“We’re back! This week on Entanglements: Should we make viruses more dangerous? Our hosts discuss this question, and its contentious history, with a microbiologist from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and a virologist from the Pasteur Institute in Paris.”

Listen here.

NEW: 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.

Biological Threats in the Age of Emerging Biotechnology – A Workshop Series

From NASEM: “The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) will convene an ad hoc planning committee to organize a workshop series with international scientists. The series will engage early-career and established experts to: a) examine dual-use risks in biotechnology research; b) explore potential misuse of knowledge, tools, and materials; c) review existing frameworks for assessing and mitigating dual-use concerns; and d) identify steps to reduce exploitation while promoting responsible innovation. The workshops will focus on balancing scientific progress with security considerations. Key insights and recommendations will be compiled in a publicly available workshop proceedings document.”

These workshops will take place 10 am-1 pm ET on September 10, 17, and 18. Register here.

CTD–SPECTRE Symposium, “Tropical and Emerging Infectious Diseases for Clinicians and Translational Scientists” 

“The CTD-SPECTRE Symposium on Tropical and Emerging Infectious Diseases for Clinicians and Translational Scientists 2025 offers a unique opportunity to connect with global experts, gain cutting-edge insights, and collaborate with peers dedicated to infectious disease research and treatment.”

“Taking place September 16 -19, 2025, at the historic Grand Galvez in Galveston, TX, this immersive symposium will unite clinicians, translational investigators, and trainees to explore the latest breakthroughs in tropical and emerging infectious diseases.”

“Hosted by the Division of Infectious Diseases at UTMB, Center for Tropical Diseases (CTD) and Special Pathogens Excellence in Clinical Treatment, Readiness, & Education (SPECTRE) Program.”

Learn more and register here.

Mirror Image Biology: Pushing the Envelope in Designing Biological Systems – A Workshop

From NASEM: “Most biological molecules are chiral entities where their mirror images have different structures and functional characteristics. Scientists have begun synthesizing left-handed DNA and RNA and creating proteins that can write left-handed nucleic acids. This, and other related research, is described as “mirror biology” and includes research toward creating mirror-image self-replicating living systems. The National Academies will host a foundational workshop on mirror biology, focusing on the state of the science, trends in research and development, risks and benefits of this research, and considerations relating for future governance of relevant enabling technologies.”

This event will take place virtually, September 29-30. Register here.

Global Conference on Biological Threat Reduction

From the World Organisation for Animal Health: “In October 2025, WOAH is hosting its third Global Conference, with the goal of galvanising advocacy efforts to manage the rising risk of biological threats from across the world.”

“The Global Conference on Biological Threat Reduction – which will take place in Geneva on 28-30 October 2025 – will bring together top minds in the fields of
health-security, emerging technologies, and biothreat reduction policies, from the public and private sectors – to focus on the latest strategies, challenges and innovations in combating biological threats to our interconnected ecosystems.”

“The Conference will bring together approximately 400 participants from different sectors, including animal health, law enforcement and security, public health, international and regional organisations, investment and development partners, private sector and industry representatives, research, academia and regulatory authorities, youth organisations.”

“Attendees will engage in thought-provoking discussions and innovative technical presentations aimed at strengthening prevention, preparedness and response capabilities across the world.”

“The event will be guided by a narrative that traces WOAH’s commitment to biological threat reduction and the increasingly relevant role it plays at the health-security interface. Against the backdrop of an uncertain future, WOAH believes that synergies between sectors can drive positive change – making the world a safer and healthier place. ”

Learn more and register here.

Applied Biosafety Call for Papers

“The Editors of Applied Biosafety are pleased to announce a forthcoming Special Issue focused on the myriad of topics associated with global biosafety management. This special issue will showcase examples of innovative approaches, creative solutions, and best practices developed and used around the world for managing risks associated with the handling, use, and storage of infectious biological agents, toxins, and potentially infectious materials in research and clinical settings.”

Learn more and submit by November 1 here.

64th ISODARCO Course

From ISODARCO: “In recent years, the global security landscape has become increasingly volatile, shaped by a convergence of geopolitical tensions, technological advancements, and evolving nuclear doctrines. The post-Cold War order that once provided a measure of predictability in global security has eroded. Conflicts such as the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific, and strategic competition between major powers have reshaped alliances and strategic postures.”

“At the same time, disruptive technologies including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, hypersonic missiles, and cyber threats – are adding new layers of complexity to both nuclear and conventional deterrence dynamics. These technologies are not only distorting the information landscape but also compressing decision-making timelines and complicating signaling mechanisms, increasing the risk of miscalculation.”

“Effectively managing nuclear escalation risks in this environment will require a combination of innovative diplomacy, technological safeguards, and renewed dialogue mechanisms to rebuild trust, reduce misperceptions, and stabilize strategic relations.”

“The ISODARCO 2026 Winter Course presents an invaluable opportunity for students and experts to discuss and examine these dynamics in depth and explore approaches to re-establishing strategic stability and reducing nuclear dangers in a volatile world.”

This course will take place January 11-18, 2026, in Andalo. Learn more and apply here.

This week’s Pandora Report includes discussion of the twelfth anniversary of the sarin gas attack in the Ghouta district of Damascus, ODNI 2.0, avian influenza, new immunization guidance from ACOG and AAP, and more.

12th Anniversary of the Ghouta Sarin Attack

This week marks the twelfth anniversary of the Assad regime’s sarin gas attack on civilians in the Ghouta district of Damascus in 2013. The attack killed more than 1,400 people, many of whom were children. The Assad regime refused to cooperate with OPCW investigations into the attack, and it did not fully declare nor eliminate its CW program. While the interim authorities in Syria have been much more cooperative, concerns about inconsistencies and incomplete disclosures by Syria persist.

Further Reading:

• “The Twelfth Anniversary of the Largest Chemical Attack in Syria: Justice and Accountability are Priorities in the Transitional Process,” Syrian Network for Human Rights
• “When Air Becomes a Lethal Weapon: Remembering the Ghouta Chemical Attack and Its Lasting Toll on Survivors,” The Syrian Observer
• “Syria – Commemoration of the 12th Anniversary of the Chemical Attacks Against the People of the Ghouta District (22 August 2025),” Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs

NCBC, Other ODNI Centers Set to Be Restructured in “ODNI 2.0”

A recent fact sheet released by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) explains that the current Director of National Intelligence (DNI), Tulsi Gabbard, is “transforming” ODNI “to eliminate redundant missions, functions and personnel, and bolster areas that need resources to support the President’s national intelligence priorities.” The document explains in its introduction that, “Part of this effort includes refocusing functions within the Foreign Malign Influence Center, the National Counterproliferation and Biosecurity Center, and the Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center, and integrating core functions and expertise from those offices into ODNI’s Mission Integration (MI) and the National Intelligence Council (NIC).”

The section discussing the National Counterproliferation and Biosecurity Center (NCBC) states that NCBC is redundant because elements within the NIC monitor intelligence related to WMD proliferation. It also discusses NCBC’s transformation from the National Counterproliferation Center to its current form during the COVID-19 pandemic. It concludes by stating, “Since that time, it has become apparent that taking action to address global health issues falls well outside of ODNI’s core mission.” The fact sheet later states that, “Descoping NCBC will save taxpayers approximately $29 million per year.”

The first issue here is the implication that the NIC can absorb and effectively continue the work NCBC does. While the NIC does consist of National Intelligence Officers who are experts on different regional and functional issues, it is unclear how the NIC would manage coordination of WMD and global health-focused intelligence at the scale NCBC has been. Furthermore, global health threats only continue to grow, and the administration’s rollbacks on programs that help address climate change, improve public health, and provide access to medical care will only worsen these threats.

The tax dollars saved by this move are also debatable. According to a report from the The Heritage Foundation that was created under the leadership of John Ratcliffe (who served as DNI during the first Trump administration and is the current Director of the CIA), the COVID-19 pandemic cost the United States $18 trillion in economic damage. The $29 million ODNI will allegedly save per year by rescoping NCBC is a drop in the bucket compared to the cost of being caught off guard by a global health threat like that of the COVID-19 pandemic. Of course, IC agencies are also reporting on these threats, but $29 million per year to help coordinate and integrate IC activities focused on emerging threats and challenges in counterproliferation and global health security seems like a much better and cheaper option than the risk of going without.

Some other points of interest outlined in the fact sheet include transferring the National Intelligence University’s programs to the National Defense University, the claim that NIC’s Strategic Futures Group was used by “the Intelligence Community’s deep state…to push a partisan political agenda,” the statement that “DNI Gabbard directed the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) to identify and invest in actionable solutions to address near-term gaps and problems in the IC, rather than investing in long-term concepts that may or may not be relevant to IC mission demands,” plans to close several offices, expansion of intelligence sharing between the National Counterterrorism Center and lower-level authorities, security clearance reform, and a portion boasting about firing 500 staffers from ODNI since the new administration began.

Further Reading:

• “DNI Gabbard Launches ODNI 2.0: Reduce Bloat by Over 40% and Save Taxpayers $700+ Million Per Year,” ODNI

Supreme Court Allows Nearly $800 Million in NIH Grant Cuts to Proceed

This week, a divided Supreme Court agreed 5-4 to pause a ruling made by a Reagan-appointed federal judge requiring the federal government to continue making payments on $783 million in NIH grants for the study of diseases in minority, gay, and transgender communities. The administration argued that the research was unscientific, did not improve health, provided little ROI, and went against President Trump’s efforts to eliminate initiatives related to DEI. Chief Justice Roberts joined Justices Kagan, Sotomayor, and Jackson in voting against the administration.

The court did also vote 5-4 to maintain the federal judge’s ruling that had thrown out internal NIH guidance documents that described the agency’s policy priorities. Justice Barrett joined the four justices listed above in voting to leave the lower court’s ruling on these documents in place.

Justice Jackson criticized her colleagues sharply, calling the ruling to terminate NIH funding “Calvinball jurisprudence with a twist,” further saying, “Calvinball has only one rule: There are no fixed rules. We seem to have two: that one, and this Administration always wins.”

The lawsuits in question were filed in April by two groups of plaintiffs. One is comprised of 16 states whose universities receive NIH funding, and the other is made up of the American Public Health Association, researchers, a union, and a reproductive health advocacy group. The plaintiffs contend in their suits that the termination of groups violated both the Constitution and the Administrative Procedure Act.

In their court filings, the plaintiffs explain that NIH cut more than 1,700 grants in just a few months, arguing that the cuts go beyond what is typically understood as relating to DEI. They point to impacted research that includes studies of cardiovascular health in the rural South, ways to reduce disparities in kidney disease, connections between traffic-related pollution and dementia-related diseases, COVID-19, vaccine hesitancy, and the health effects of climate change.

Further Reading:

• “Supreme Court Allows Trump Administration to Terminate $783 Million in NIH Grants Linked to DEI Initiatives,” Amy Howe, SCOTUS Blog
• “How Deeply Trump Has Cut Federal Health Agencies,” Brandon Roberts, Annie Waldman, and Pratheek Rebala, ProPublica

Stressful Week at CDC as Shooting Aftermath Coincides with More Termination Notices, New Information on Attacker

An email sent to all CDC employees by the CDC security team this week revealed that the shooter who targeted the agency’s main campus in Atlanta on August 8 explained that he had tried to enter the campus two days prior to the shooting. This information was revealed shortly after hundreds of CDC employees received final termination notices. Employees told The Washington Post that the layoffs, new information about the shooter and his apparent motivations, and the shooting itself have all compounded the stress those working at CDC are feeling.

The shooting prompted current and former HHS employees to sign a letter this week accusing Secretary Kennedy of endangering the lives of employees and the public by dismantling public health infrastructure, sowing public mistrust by questioning the integrity and morality of CDC’s workforce (including calling CDC a “cesspool of corruption”), spreading vaccine and health misinformation, and haphazardly firing CDC employees. The letter currently has more than 3,700 signatures.

Further Reading:

• “After the CDC Shooting, Federal Workers Demand More Protections from RFK Jr.,” Pien Huang, NPR
• “CDC Funding Changes Inject ‘Chaos’ Into Local Health Programs,” Nathaniel Weixel, The Hill
• “Anti-Vaccine Myths Surged on Social Media Ahead of the CDC Shooting,” David Ingram and Aria Bendix, NBC News
• “Support the American Public & HHS Employees,” Save HHS
• “The Playbook Used to ‘Prove’ Vaccines Cause Autism,” Jessica Steier, The New York Times

Updates on Immunization Guidance

AAP Breaks from ACIP on Vaccine Recommendations

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released this week its own evidence-based immunization schedule, breaking from recent recommendations made by CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). In a statement about its new guidance, AAP said, “Since its founding in 1930, the American Academy of Pediatrics has been a leading voice in vaccine recommendations, creating evidence-based guidance to support pediatricians in caring for children and families. The schedule published Tuesday continues in this tradition. It differs from recent recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the CDC, which was overhauled this year and replaced with individuals who have a history of spreading vaccine misinformation.”

Just hours after AAP published this, Secretary Kennedy attacked the group, accusing it of engaging in a “pay-to-play scheme to promote commercial ambitions of AAP’s Big Pharma benefactors.” Kennedy criticized AAP’s recommendation that children between six and 23 months receive COVID-19 vaccines, suggesting that the recommendation was made because of financial contributions from Pfizer and Moderna.

A spokesperson for HHS accused AAP of “freelancing its own recommendations, while smearing those who demand accountability,” in a statement to the press this week. AAP President Susan J. Kressly defended her organization’s guidance, saying that the recommendations were “based only in the science, the needs of children, and the care that pediatricians have for the children in every community.”

ACOG Releases Updated Maternal Immunization Guidance for COVID-19, Influenza, and RSV

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) released today updated clinical guidance for vaccination during pregnancy for COVID-19, influenza, and RSV. The three new documents all recommend maternal immunization and “lay out the full body of current scientific evidence that underscores the safety and benefits of choosing to be vaccinated against these respiratory conditions during pregnancy.”

ACOG President Steven J. Fleischman said in a statement about the guidance, “It is well documented that respiratory conditions can cause poor outcomes during pregnancy, with pregnant women facing both severe illness and threats to the health of their pregnancy. Thanks to vaccines, severe outcomes from respiratory infections are largely preventable. ACOG’s updated respiratory guidance documents repeat what we have long known: that vaccines continue to be the best tool available for pregnant patients to protect themselves and their infants from these viruses.”

Secretary Kennedy announced in May that the CDC will no longer recommend the COVID-19 vaccine for healthy pregnant women. This prompted widespread backlash, with many professional organizations, state and local health authorities, and providers continuing to recommend the vaccine for pregnant people. Secretary Kennedy’s ACIP appointees voted to recommend both adults and children no longer receive influenza vaccines that use the preservative thimerosal. The body did vote to add RSV options to recommendations, though some members did cast doubt on the safety of coadministration of RSV vaccines to children alongside other vaccines, despite CDC data indicating the safety of doing so.

Further Reading:

• “AAP Evidence-Backed Immunization Schedule Reflects Break from CDC Advisers,” Lisa Schnirring, CIDRAP
• “Vaccine Integrity Project Presents Reassuring Data on Vaccines for Upcoming Respiratory Virus Season,” Mary Van Beusekom, CIDRAP
• “Conflicts of Interest in Federal Vaccine Advisory Committees,” Kanter et al., JAMA
• “Conflicts on Vaccine Panels Were at Record Lows Before Kennedy’s Firings,” Berkeley Lovelace Jr., NBC News
• “Kennedy’s Anti-Vaccine Strategy Risks Forcing Shots Off Market, Manufacturers Warn,” Stephanie Armour, KFF Health News
• “HHS Revives Child Vaccine Safety Panel Sought by Anti-Vaccine Activists,” Rachel Roubein and Lena H. Sun, The Washington Post

Avian Influenza Updates

By Margeaux Malone, Pandora Report Associate Editor 

Preparing for Fall: H5N1 Research and Surveillance Target Multiple Species

Although we continue to see avian influenza cases lull between spring and fall waterfowl migration seasons, multiple developments this week underscore that preparedness efforts are anything but dormant. The current calm provides valuable time for research investments and policy preparations that may prove critical when viral activity inevitably increases with fall migration patterns.

Major Research Investments Announced in Swine

The Swine Health Information Center, Pork Checkoff, and Foundation for Foods & Agriculture Research announced funding for 10 new H5N1 research projects in pigs, as part of their joint H5N1 Risk to Swine Research Program. The projects, totaling $2.1 million in funding, will be conducted across various U.S. universities to address multiple areas of interest related to bird flu in swine including vaccine development and cross-protection, introduction and transmission risks, potential for mammary transmission, diagnostic surveillance, and biosecurity practices. This represents a critical knowledge gap, as pigs can serve as “mixing vessels” for influenza viruses due to their susceptibility to both avian and human strains. All of the projects were started this summer and are expected to run 12 to 18 months. The results will be shared with veterinarians and swine producers “as soon as they become available” to allow for informed decision-making and timely implementation of protective measures in swine herds.

Dairy Industry Calls for Unified Response

A comprehensive review in the Journal of Dairy Science emphasizes that controlling H5N1 will require a coordinated effort across the dairy sector using a One Health approach that considers the intersection of animal, human, and environmental health. Dr. Jason Lombard, lead author and veterinarian from Colorado State University, explains, “The H5N1 outbreak in dairy cattle is unlike anything we have seen before—it has an exceptional ability to spread between farms and among cows within a farm—and is the first time an infectious disease of this magnitude has affected the US dairy sector in nearly 100 years. It has revealed challenges we still haven’t solved in our ability to detect, report, and manage new diseases.” In the review, the authors emphasize three key policy recommendations: declare H5N1 a public health emergency with mandatory (free!) ongoing nationwide testing of representative samples in dairy and beef cattle, expand CDC’s wastewater surveillance program for H5N1, and make vaccines available to any potentially exposed workers with a plan for nationwide distribution.

CDC Looking to Connect with Backyard Flock Owners

Despite CDC’s decision in July to scale back H5N1 updates and halt reporting of animal detections on their website, the agency has not stopped its surveillance and engagement efforts related to bird flu. CDC recently opened an anonymous survey intended for backyard flock owners, seeking to better understand how bird flu impacts this community and to help strengthen prevention strategies. The 10-15 minute survey covers flock characteristics, owners’ knowledge of bird flu symptoms in both birds and humans, perceived risks to their flocks, attitudes toward protective measures like vaccination, and current biosecurity practices. Backyard flocks represent an important component of the bird flu overall surveillance picture, as human cases have occurred among those exposed to non-commercial flocks as well as in dairy and commercial poultry workers. The URL link to the survey can be found here and questions can be directed to h5flustudy@cdc.gov.

Further Reading:

• “Klobuchar, Smith Secure Funding for Project to Address Avian Flu in Senate-Passed Legislation,” Office of United States Senator Amy Klobuchar
• “Could babies get bird flu through breast milk? Maybe, a study hints,” Tina Hesman Saey, ScienceNews
• “Texas Biomedical Researchers Develop Proof-of-Concept Vaccine for H5N1 Bird Flu Using Human Airway Organoids,” Mark Chiang, Gene Online

Other Relevant Happenings

New Details on Unit 731

• “New Details Emerge About Japan’s Notorious WWII Germ Warfare Program,” Anthony Kuhn, NPR

Recall Issued for Frozen Shrimp in 13 States for Potential Radioactive Contamination

• “Walmart Recalls Its Frozen Shrimp in 13 States, Citing Potential Radioactive Contamination,” JoNel Aleccia, PBS News

32,000 Lbs of Meat Products Recalled for Falsely Using FDA Inspection Labels

• “New Jersey Company Recalls Meat Because of Fake USDA Inspection Labels,” Food Safety News

21 People Infected with E. Coli After Consuming Raw Milk in Florida

• “Florida Infection Outbreak from Raw Milk Leads to Lawsuit: Report,” Meg Hilling, News Nation
• “Florida Officials Warn About Risks of Drinking Raw Milk After 21 People Sickened,” Ellie Compton, CBS News
• “Florida Surgeon General Says He Supports Raw Milk Consumption After 21 Sickened,” Rachel Tucker, WFLA

“Ensuring Security Against Biological Weapons in a Changing World”

From WOAH: “In an age where global conflict is nuanced and highly complex, animals can become a target for criminal networks, terrorist groups and other non-state actors. While the connection between conflict and intentionally released biological agents is nothing new, today’s intersecting challenges demand transformative action from across sectors to prepare for an unpredictable future.”

Read more here.

“Exploring the Offense-Defense Balance of Biology”

From the RAND Corporation: “As advancements in synthetic biology and related enabling technologies lower barriers to both pathogen engineering and pharmaceutical development, it is important to understand how these advances shift the balance between attackers and defenders. This high-level qualitative assessment identifies four asymmetries likely to favor attackers (kinetic considerations, financial burden, threat surface, and consequences of failure) and one likely to favor defenders (access to knowledge and materials).”

“This paper does not include the quantitative analysis necessary to fully assess the offense-defense balance in biology but does lay essential groundwork for future research. The identification of four out of five asymmetries favoring attackers suggests that biology currently confers a distinct advantage to attackers. Although the current asymmetry in access to knowledge and materials favors defenders, this advantage may be difficult to maintain as biotechnology becomes cheaper, more accessible, and decentralized.”

“To mitigate rising risks, defenders can pursue strategic interventions that tilt the balance in their favor. These include streamlining regulatory pathways for pharmaceutical countermeasures, investing in pathogen-agnostic defenses, and applying the principle of differential technology development—intentionally accelerating innovations that disproportionately enhance defensive resilience. By understanding and addressing these asymmetries, policymakers can better navigate both safeguarding public health and sustaining scientific progress.”

“Enhancing Transparency for Bioscience Research and Development”

From NIT: “Rapid advances in modern bioscience and biotechnology are providing researchers with powerful new tools to drive breakthroughs in human health, climate resilience, and economic development. However, these advances are also accompanied by risks of deliberate misuse. The Biological Weapons Convention (BWC)—now in its 50th year—embodies the global norm against biological weapons development and use and is the main international treaty that guards against these risks. While vital, the BWC is constrained by a lack of robust mechanisms for assessing compliance. Now is the time to address this gap by taking action to enhance transparency in life science research. Transparency can build trust between nations, increase the opportunity cost of developing biological weapons, and strengthen capabilities to detect covert biological weapons programs. To enhance transparency in bioscience research and development and to build confidence in compliance with the BWC norm against developing and using biological weapons, this report puts forward six concrete and actionable recommendations.”

“This moment is marked by both the breakneck speed of life science advances and a political opening within the BWC to reopen decades-long stalled discussions on confidence-building, transparency, compliance, and verification. Governments, industry, nongovernmental organizations, and academia should work together to enhance transparency in life science research, fostering innovation and its societal benefits while also building trust that it is not being exploited to cause harm.”

“The 1925 Geneva Protocol: The League of Nations’ Only Arms Control Agreement”

Jean Pascal Zanders recently published this working paper as part of a series on the history of CBW: “On Wednesday, 17 June 1925, the Conference for the Supervision of the International Traffic in Arms successfully concluded six weeks of negotiations with three agreements. One of them was the Protocol for the Prohibition of the Use in War of Asphyxiating, Poisonous or Other Gases, and of Bacteriological Methods of Warfare. Of the forty-four participating delegations, twenty-six possessed plenipotentiary power to sign the Protocol before the closing of the Conference. Another twelve states affixed their signatures and ratified the document before its general entry into force on 8 February 1928. As of June 2025, 147 states are party to the Geneva Protocol, as the legal instrument is commonly known.”

“Despite being a mere single-page long, the agreement has limited the use of chemical weapons (CW) in armed conflicts and all but prevented the deliberate spread of disease as a method of warfare. Being part of the laws of war, it did not forbid the development, production and possession of chemical and bacteriological (biological) weapons (CBW). Still, it paved the way for the 1972 Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) and the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). In addition, it provides the legal foundation for the UN Secretary-General’s Mechanism to investigate alleged CBW use. The 1998 Rome Statute, which established the International Criminal Court, uses Protocol language to declare CW use a war crime. (A later amendment added BW use to the list of war crimes but utilised the reference to biological and bacteriological agents in the BTWC.)”

“While today nobody contests the Geneva Protocol’s contribution to the development of the norm against CBW, little is known about the factors that contributed to its emergence and negotiation. Why was the document a protocol and not a treaty? Given the supposed widespread abhorrence against CW after the massive and systematic use of gas during the First World War, why did it take almost seven years for the international community to translate this repugnance into a global ban? Why did the centuries-old customary prohibition of poison use, codified for the first time at the 1899 Hague Convention and restated at the 1907 Hague Convention, no longer suffice? How did the negotiators, seemingly out of nowhere, decide to include disease as a method of warfare in the Protocol? This issue of Historical Studies aims to answer these and many other questions.”

Read more about this paper and series on Zanders’ website, The Trench, here.

NEW: Next Gen Biosecurity Game Changers Seminar: Regional Policies for Mitigating Risks Associated with AI-enabled Biodesign

From Brown Pandemic Center: “On August 27th at 11:00 AM ET, join the fourth event in a seminar series hosted by the Pandemic Center Biosecurity Game Changers Fellows: Regional Policies for Mitigating Risks Associated with AI-enabled Biodesign.”

“Convened and moderated by and intended for early-to-mid-career professionals, the Game Changers Seminar Series shines a spotlight on major challenges that will confront the next generation of biosecurity leaders and impactful next steps that can be taken to lean forward faster to prevent biological crises.”

Learn more and register here.

Mission Critical: How One Hospital Maintained Operations and Protected Patients and Staff After Hurricane Helene

From ASPR TRACIE: “In September 2024, Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4 storm, causing historic flooding, tornadoes, and widespread infrastructure damage across the Southeastern U.S. Despite total utility failures, road closures, and supply shortages, Mission Health—comprised of six acute care hospitals in the Western North Carolina region—successfully maintained critical operations, protected patients and staff, and continued providing essential services.”

“The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, Technical Resources, Assistance Center, and Information Exchange (ASPR TRACIE) invite you to learn more about this webinar featuring HCA Healthcare representatives. They will share lessons learned, including how leadership made key decisions to sustain operations, secure essential resources, ensure patient and staff safety, and expand support to the surrounding community. Learn how strong leadership, planning, and adaptability enabled a comprehensive and resilient response during and after the storm.”

This event will take place on August 27, 12:30-1:45 PM ET. Register here.

Biological Threats in the Age of Emerging Biotechnology – A Workshop Series

From NASEM: “The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) will convene an ad hoc planning committee to organize a workshop series with international scientists. The series will engage early-career and established experts to: a) examine dual-use risks in biotechnology research; b) explore potential misuse of knowledge, tools, and materials; c) review existing frameworks for assessing and mitigating dual-use concerns; and d) identify steps to reduce exploitation while promoting responsible innovation. The workshops will focus on balancing scientific progress with security considerations. Key insights and recommendations will be compiled in a publicly available workshop proceedings document.”

These workshops will take place 10 am-1 pm ET on September 10, 17, and 18. Register here.

CTD–SPECTRE Symposium, “Tropical and Emerging Infectious Diseases for Clinicians and Translational Scientists” 

“The CTD-SPECTRE Symposium on Tropical and Emerging Infectious Diseases for Clinicians and Translational Scientists 2025 offers a unique opportunity to connect with global experts, gain cutting-edge insights, and collaborate with peers dedicated to infectious disease research and treatment.”

“Taking place September 16 -19, 2025, at the historic Grand Galvez in Galveston, TX, this immersive symposium will unite clinicians, translational investigators, and trainees to explore the latest breakthroughs in tropical and emerging infectious diseases.”

“Hosted by the Division of Infectious Diseases at UTMB, Center for Tropical Diseases (CTD) and Special Pathogens Excellence in Clinical Treatment, Readiness, & Education (SPECTRE) Program.”

Learn more and register here.

Mirror Image Biology: Pushing the Envelope in Designing Biological Systems – A Workshop

From NASEM: “Most biological molecules are chiral entities where their mirror images have different structures and functional characteristics. Scientists have begun synthesizing left-handed DNA and RNA and creating proteins that can write left-handed nucleic acids. This, and other related research, is described as “mirror biology” and includes research toward creating mirror-image self-replicating living systems. The National Academies will host a foundational workshop on mirror biology, focusing on the state of the science, trends in research and development, risks and benefits of this research, and considerations relating for future governance of relevant enabling technologies.”

This event will take place virtually, September 29-30. Register here.

Global Conference on Biological Threat Reduction

From the World Organisation for Animal Health: “In October 2025, WOAH is hosting its third Global Conference, with the goal of galvanising advocacy efforts to manage the rising risk of biological threats from across the world.”

“The Global Conference on Biological Threat Reduction – which will take place in Geneva on 28-30 October 2025 – will bring together top minds in the fields of
health-security, emerging technologies, and biothreat reduction policies, from the public and private sectors – to focus on the latest strategies, challenges and innovations in combating biological threats to our interconnected ecosystems.”

“The Conference will bring together approximately 400 participants from different sectors, including animal health, law enforcement and security, public health, international and regional organisations, investment and development partners, private sector and industry representatives, research, academia and regulatory authorities, youth organisations.”

“Attendees will engage in thought-provoking discussions and innovative technical presentations aimed at strengthening prevention, preparedness and response capabilities across the world.”

“The event will be guided by a narrative that traces WOAH’s commitment to biological threat reduction and the increasingly relevant role it plays at the health-security interface. Against the backdrop of an uncertain future, WOAH believes that synergies between sectors can drive positive change – making the world a safer and healthier place. ”

Learn more and register here.

New Call for Experts to Join the Second Term of the Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens (SAGO)

“Opening call for applications from 30 July–30 August 2025”

“WHO welcomes expressions of interest for SAGO’s second term 2025-2027 from individuals with significant expertise in one or more of the technical disciplines listed below in order to ensure a multi-disciplinary One Health approach.”

“The call will open from 30 July–30 August 2025, closing at 24:00 Central European Summer Time (CEST; UTC +2) on 30 August 2025. Applications require a Curriculum Vitae, a cover letter, and signed Declaration of Interests form.”

Read more here.

Applied Biosafety Call for Papers

“The Editors of Applied Biosafety are pleased to announce a forthcoming Special Issue focused on the myriad of topics associated with global biosafety management. This special issue will showcase examples of innovative approaches, creative solutions, and best practices developed and used around the world for managing risks associated with the handling, use, and storage of infectious biological agents, toxins, and potentially infectious materials in research and clinical settings.”

Learn more and submit by November 1 here.

64th ISODARCO Course

From ISODARCO: “In recent years, the global security landscape has become increasingly volatile, shaped by a convergence of geopolitical tensions, technological advancements, and evolving nuclear doctrines. The post-Cold War order that once provided a measure of predictability in global security has eroded. Conflicts such as the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific, and strategic competition between major powers have reshaped alliances and strategic postures.”

“At the same time, disruptive technologies including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, hypersonic missiles, and cyber threats – are adding new layers of complexity to both nuclear and conventional deterrence dynamics. These technologies are not only distorting the information landscape but also compressing decision-making timelines and complicating signaling mechanisms, increasing the risk of miscalculation.”

“Effectively managing nuclear escalation risks in this environment will require a combination of innovative diplomacy, technological safeguards, and renewed dialogue mechanisms to rebuild trust, reduce misperceptions, and stabilize strategic relations.”

“The ISODARCO 2026 Winter Course presents an invaluable opportunity for students and experts to discuss and examine these dynamics in depth and explore approaches to re-establishing strategic stability and reducing nuclear dangers in a volatile world.”

This course will take place January 11-18, 2026, in Andalo. Learn more and apply here.

This week’s Pandora Report covers updates on bird flu, discussion of the shooting at CDC’s main campus in Atlanta, and more.

Avian Influenza Updates

By Margeaux Malone, Pandora Report Associate Editor 

International Bird Flu Outbreaks Signal Ongoing Global Threat

Although only one outbreak of avian influenza has been detected in U.S. commercial poultry since early July at a game bird farm in Pennsylvania, recent international developments underscore that H5N1 bird flu remains far from contained globally.

The United Kingdom is experiencing an unusual summer surge of avian influenza cases with 10 commercial poultry outbreaks reported in two weeks, including recent detections in south west England. Just prior to the spike, the UK had lowered its threat level for farmers after five weeks without any new reported cases. While the surge may be a transient occurrence, it will continue to be monitored closely given that it represents a notable deviation from the typical summer pattern.

Multiple other countries have also noted recent H5 detections in poultry over the last few weeks including Taiwan, Botswana, and Cambodia, according to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH, formerly OIE). Additionally, Chilean researchers recently described the first detection of H5N1 in Antarctica. After sampling over a hundred birds at two different Antarctic locations, eight Adelie penguins and one Atlantic cormorant tested positive via PCR for H5 highly pathogenic avian influenza. Fortunately, no clinical signs of influenza were observed in the positive birds, who continued to exhibit normal foraging behavior even two months after testing. However, this geographic expansion to the world’s most isolated continent potentially adds two more species to the long list of infected animals and highlights the virus’s remarkable ability to spread via migratory bird routes.

The outbreak’s economic ripple effects continue as well. China announced that it has pre-emptively banned Spanish poultry imports following Spain’s August 4 outbreak detection in the Basque region, though Spain notes minimal immediate impact since planned exports hadn’t yet commenced. In April, the two countries signed a protocol for export of certain poultry products from Spain to China. Spanish authorities are now working with WOAH to resolve the outbreak and allow the restrictions to be lifted.

Further Reading:

• “Three things we can do now to reduce the risk of avian influenza spillovers,” Kenneth B. Yeh, et al., PNAS
• “Bird flu returns to Western Cape, threatening critically endangered seabirds and the poultry industry,” Nova News
• “Tracking HPAIV H5 through a geographic survey of Antarctic seabird populations,” Fabiola León, et al., Scientific Reports

Shooter Who Blamed COVID-19 Vaccine for Depression, Suicidal Thoughts Attacks CDC Main Campus, Intensifying Scrutiny of Kennedy’s Anti-Vaccine Rhetoric, Criticism of Public Health Agencies

Last Friday, the public health crisis that is gun violence in the US claimed the nation’s premier public health agency as its latest victim. More than 500 casings have been recovered on CDC’s Roybal Campus in Atlanta, with nearly 200 fired at six buildings on the campus, breaking around 150 “blast-resistant” windows. Five firearms were recovered at the scene. The shooter was stopped by CDC security guards before he drove to a shopping area adjacent to the CDC campus and continued to fire.

Thankfully, no CDC employees were killed or physically injured in the attack, though a Georgia police officer was killed by the attacker. Authorities have praised security measures in place at the CDC campus that, in addition to those employed by CDC, had almost 100 children present at the childcare center at the time of the attack.

According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), a search warrant executed at the shooter’s home resulted in recovery of written documents that are currently being analyzed by GBI Certified Criminal Profilers. GBI reports that the shooter expressed beliefs that indicated his discontent with COVID-19 vaccines, which he blamed for making him depressed and suicidal. Police were called on the shooter three times in the last year in response to his suicidal thoughts. Two calls were made by the shooter’s father, who told police during one of the call’s that the shooter was in possession of a firearm. The other call was made by a crisis line worker. Officer Mark Morgan of the Emory Police Department opened fire while confronting the gunman, though GBI reporting indicates the shooter was not shot by law enforcement. The shooter died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

A DeKalb County policy officer, Officer David Rose, was killed in the line of duty while responding to the shooting. Rose, a Boston native who served four years in the Marine Corps, graduated from the DeKalb County Police Academy at the top of his class earlier this year before being assigned to the North Central Precinct. He leaves behind a wife, two young children, a third child expected later this year, his parents and siblings, and an extended family. He will be honored at the Atlanta’s Finest 5K this weekend, where all proceeds will go towards supporting his family.

This is part of a much broader trend of harassment and attacks targeting public health that has become substantially worse in recent years. Recent studies have documented the pervasive harassment those in public health have experienced since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, little to nothing has been done to address the trauma many in public health continue to endure as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, with those in the public health workforce more likely to report posttraumatic stress symptoms than those in the general US adult population. The shooting has sparked yet more concern that young professionals will lose interest in working for agencies like CDC or even studying public health in the first place.

Secretary Kennedy made a statement on X regarding the shooting, saying: “We are deeply saddened by the tragic shooting at CDC’s Atlanta campus that took the life of officer David Rose. We stand with his wife and three children and the entire CDC family…We know how shaken our public health colleagues feel today. No one should face violence while working to protect the health of others…We are actively supporting CDC staff on the ground and across the agency. Public health workers show up every day with purpose — even in moments of grief and uncertainty…We honor their service. We stand with them. And we remain united in our mission to protect and improve the health of every American.”

Kennedy did tour the Roybal Campus this week alongside HHS Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neil and CDC Director Susan Monarez. Kennedy also visited the DeKalb County Police Department before meeting with the widow of Officer Rose. Notably, the White House and President Trump have not commented on the shooting.

Kennedy refused to answer a direct question from Scripps News on Monday asking what message he has for CDC employees who worry about the culture of misinformation and skepticism surrounding vaccines. Kennedy insisted, despite what information has been revealed by GBI about the shooter’s motives, that not enough information is known about those motives. He then immediately went on to criticize CDC’s pandemic response, saying in part, “One of the things that we saw during COVID is that the government was overreaching in its efforts to persuade the public to get vaccinated and they were saying things that are not always true.”

Secretary Kennedy has spent years attacking the CDC. For example, in videos from 2013-2019, Kennedy compared CDC’s vaccine work to “fascism” and “child abuse,” describing the agency as a “cesspool of corruption” that he claimed is full of profiteers. Kennedy has also claimed CDC failed to address “the autism epidemic,” comparing it to the Holocaust. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, he repeatedly described CDC and other HHS agencies as corrupt while suggesting SARS-CoV-2 is a bioweapon and describing the COVID-19 vaccine as “the deadliest vaccine ever made.”

In July, Kennedy and his newly-appointed members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices cast doubt on the hepatitis B vaccine. In an interview, Kennedy falsely claimed that the CDC conducted a study that found the hepatitis B vaccine increases the risk of autism, and that researchers at CDC hid these findings from the public. This sparked online discourse about an alleged 1,135% increased risk of developing autism as a result of receiving the hepatitis B vaccine. In reality, the study, which was published in Pediatrics in 2003, was a two-phase retrospective cohort study focused on potential links between five vaccines vaccines (including vaccines for hepatitis B, haemophilus influenzae type b, and diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis) that used thimerosal as a preservative and neurodevelopmental disorders. No such link was found.

The study, published by Verstraeten et al., included a 1999 abstract presented at the CDC’s Epidemic Intelligence Service conference that year, in which the authors explained that Phase I raw data analysis using the Vaccine Safety Datalink appeared to show an increased risk for non-degenerative neurological disorders with thimerosal-containing vaccines. At a conference in 2000, researchers explained that, during Phase II analysis of the data (using confirmed diagnoses rather than raw data), this potential connection between these vaccines and autism shown in the raw data was not statistically significant.

The study concluded that “No consistent significant associations were found between TCVs and neurodeveloprnental outcomes.” There are, therefore, numerous issues with Kennedy’s claims. For starters, even if there was a statistically significant link between thimerosal containing vaccines and neurodevelopmental outcomes, this study alone could not specifically link that outcome to the hepatitis B vaccine because it did not only include the hepatitis B vaccine. Furthermore, the notion that the CDC covered this study up is preposterous, least of all given the fact that it was presented at multiple conferences and then published publicly. Verstraeten himself has repeatedly refuted the claim the study was watered down or hidden by CDC. This is all on top of the gross portrayal of people with autism that Kennedy and others rely on in this rhetoric, which has drawn sharp backlash from researchers and autistic people alike.

This kind of rhetoric comes with severe consequences for the health of the public and, as was made abundantly clear by last week’s tragedy, the health and safety of those working for organizations like CDC. Many CDC employees are understandably frustrated by both Kennedy’s response to the shooting and his role in stoking both anti-vaccine sentiments and distrust of the CDC and other public health organizations. One senior CDC official, speaking anonymously, told MSNBC, “The hatred RFK and his allies have spent their lives stoking puts a target on the backs of anyone in public health.”

In a statement regarding the difficulties faced by CDC employees amid the pandemic, rampant misinformation, federal layoffs, and, now, this shooting, one employee said, “It’s just too much. This year has been too much.” Another described the shooting as “the culmination of ongoing animosity toward CDC and the work that we do – not a one-off incident.”

A combined statement made by several relevant professional organizations reads in part, “People choosing public health as a profession are committed to advancing our nation’s health and recognize that good health in every community benefits everyone. It is our hope that all Americans will stand with us to support the vital role that CDC and the entire public health workforce play in supporting safety and well-being in every community. Their expertise and commitment to advancing health deserves all Americans’ unwavering support.”

Further Reading:

• “Mom of Officer Killed in CDC Shooting ‘Trying to Cope,'” Christopher King, Fox 5
• “CVS Manager Describes CDC Atlanta Shooting Attack: ‘I Still Hear the Sirens’,” Alli Levine, Fox 5
• “‘I’m Actually Surprised It Didn’t Happen Sooner’: CDC Staffers Saw the Violence Coming,” Keren Landman, The Atlantic
• “CDC Union Condemns Vaccine Misinformation After Shooter Blamed COVID Vaccine for Depression,” Susan Haigh, AP News
• “CDC Shooting Highlights Increasing Rhetoric and Hostility Against Health Professionals,” Geoff Bennett and Azhar Merchant, PBS News
• “After CDC Shooting, Its Employees Turn Their Anger Towards RFK Jr. and Trump,” Lauren Weber and Lena H. Sun, The Washington Post
• “CDC Staffers Voice Frustrations Over Kennedy’s Anti-Vaccine Rhetoric,” Berkely Lovelace Jr., Priya Sridhar, and Daniela Hernandez, NBC News
• “1 Week After Deadly Shooting at CDC, Some Employees Feel Trump and RFK Jr. Have Moved On,” Cheyenne Haslett and Mary Kekatos, ABC News
• “Public Health Leaders’ Joint Statement in Response to the Attack on CDC,” Trust for America’s Health
• “Former Surgeon General: The CDC Shooting Must be a Wakeup Call,” Jerome Adams, STAT News
• “The CDC Attack: Safety First,” Tom Frieden, The Formula
• “Veterinarians Impacted by Shooting at CDC Headquarters,” Malinda Larkin, American Veterinary Medical Association
• “Violence Against Public Health Workers,” Tiesman et al., NIOSH Science Blog
• “US Adults’ Beliefs About Harassing or Threatening Public Health Officials During the COVID-19 Pandemic,” Topazian et al., JAMA Network Open
• “New NACCHO Research Shows Harassment Targeting Local Public Health Leaders Included Verbal Attacks, Physical Violence, and Threats of Legal Action,” National Association of Country and City Health Officials
• “Local Public Health Under Threat: Harassment Faced by Local Health Department Leaders During the COVID-19 Pandemic,” Royster et al., Public Health in Practice
• “Confronting Health Misinformation: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on Building a Healthy Information Environment,” Office of the Surgeon General

Other Relevant Happenings:

Sixth Session of the BWC Working Group Meets

• “The Sixth Session of the BWC Working Group: Setting the Scene,” BioWeapons Prevention Project
• “International Cooperation and Assistance at WG6: Setting the Scene,” BioWeapons Prevention Project
• “Opening of WG6 and Setting the Scene for Discussion of S&T Developments,” BioWeapons Prevention Project
• “The Polish Paradox: Gen. Kazimierz Sosnkowski and the Ban on Biological Warfare,” Robert Petersen, War on the Rocks

Executive Order Requires Alignment with Administration’s Policy Priorities in Grant-Review Process

• “Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking,” The White House
• “Trump Order Gives Political Appointees Vast Powers Over Research Grants,” Dan Garisto, Nature
• “New Executive Order Puts All Grants Under Political Control,” John Timmer, Ars Technica

Calls for RFK Jr. Impeachment Grow

• “Groups Call for RFK Jr. to Be Impeached. Here’s What That Would Take,” Kristina Fiore, MedPage Today

Prasad Returns to FDA

• “Ousted FDA Vaccine Chief Vinay Prasad is Returning to the Agency,” AP News

Further Discussion of HHS’ Decision to Move Away from mRNA Vaccines

• “I Developed mRNA. RFK Jr. is Endangering US Public Health,” Samuel Lovett, The Times
• “An Epidemiologist on Trump’s Decision to Pull Funding for mRNA Vaccine Research,” Steve Inskeep, NPR
• “Jay Bhattacharya: Why the NIH is Pivoting Away from mRNA Vaccines,” Jay Bhattacharya, The Washington Post

Draft of “Make Our Children Healthy Again Strategy” Obtained by Media Following Delay of Report’s Release

• “Draft of White House Report Suggests Kennedy Won’t Push Strict Pesticide Regulations,” Dani Blum, Benjamin Mueller, and Alice Callahan, The New York Times
• “Second MAHA Report’s Release Delayed,” Joseph Choi, The Hill

Jellyfish Force Gravelines Nuclear Power Station to Go Offline

• “Jellyfish Shut Down French Nuclear Power Plant,” Claire Moses, The New York Times

“No One in the White House Knows How to Stop Ebola”

Beth Cameron, Jon Finer, and Stephanie Psaki discuss the dismantling of US pandemic preparedness under the current administration in this piece for The Atlantic. They cover changes to the NSC and the White House Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy, ongoing changes at CDC and FDA, the closing of USAID and broader reductions in international aid and engagement, evolving biological threats, and how this “self-inflicted” vulnerability impacts the administration’s ability to respond to threats to global health security like Ebola. They summarize the issue pointedly, writing “Put another way: The second Trump administration inherited a playbook, and then pushed out the people who knew how to run the plays.”

“Assessing the Impacts of Technology Maturity and Diffusion on Malicious Biological Agent Development Capabilities”

Barbara Del Castello and Henry H. Willis authored this RAND Corporation Research Report: “In this report, the authors propose and demonstrate a method to measure changes in threats associated with emerging technologies in the life sciences. The method focuses on how biotechnology maturation and diffusion could lower barriers for nonstate actors to create biological agents. By evaluating the current and near-term maturity of eight disruptive technologies through expert elicitation, the authors demonstrate how to use their method to assess the impact of emerging technologies on the biological agent creation pipeline. The method can be used and extended by those seeking to understand and manage emerging biosecurity risks generated through the advancement of biotechnologies and artificial intelligence.”

“This report should be of interest to biosecurity researchers and policymakers interested in evaluating how advances in life science technologies contribute to increasing adversary bioattack capabilities.”

“Scaling Pathogen Detection with Metagenomics”

Simon Grimm published this essay as part of IFP’s The Launch Sequence series: “America is unprepared to detect new biological threats. Existing pathogen detection methods only identify known pathogens, leaving us blind to novel outbreaks. With frontier AI potentially putting virus design within the reach of more actors, biosecurity is only becoming more urgent.”

“Within 2–3 years, we could transform our pathogen detection capabilities by adopting new technologies: metagenomic sequencing, which detects both known and unknown pathogens, paired with frontier AI models capable of rapidly analyzing billions of sequencing reads a day. The cost of metagenomic sequencing has been dropping rapidly, making it possible to now collect data at the scale needed to enable AI-powered pathogen early warning. Upgrading US biosurveillance in this way would both provide detailed insights into seasonal pathogen spread in the US and ensure far earlier detection of new outbreaks.”

“The US should invest up to $100 million per year into constructing a federal metagenomic surveillance system over the next 2–3 years, as the centerpiece of the CDC’s recently announced Biothreat Radar Detection System. Just as the National Weather Service blanketed the country with radars and made its raw meteorological data public, the federal government can generate and share large amounts of metagenomic sequencing data with a turnaround time of 1–2 days, enabling early outbreak detection that could prevent hundreds of billions of dollars in economic damage.”

Read the full essay here.

What We’re Listening To 🎧

Biosecurity Changing the Game, Ep. 11: Germ-Wars, Treaties, and Global Trust: Demystifying the Biological Weapons Convention

“In this episode, Dr. Dinah Nasike is joined by: Dr. Alex Kyabarongo, a veterinarian, former Political Affairs Intern at the Biological Weapons Convention, and currently a Masters of Biodefense Candidate at the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University; and Sandra Matinyi, Biosecurity Game Changers Fellow and the Executive Director of Nuo Bioscience, Uganda. Together, they discuss the Biological Weapons Convention: what is it, why was it created and for whom, and how is it holding up in today’s world of rapidly developing science and the escalating risk of epidemics?”

Listen here.

NEW: Global Conference on Biological Threat Reduction

From the World Organisation for Animal Health: “In October 2025, WOAH is hosting its third Global Conference, with the goal of galvanising advocacy efforts to manage the rising risk of biological threats from across the world.”

“The Global Conference on Biological Threat Reduction – which will take place in Geneva on 28-30 October 2025 – will bring together top minds in the fields of health-security, emerging technologies, and biothreat reduction policies, from the public and private sectors – to focus on the latest strategies, challenges and innovations in combating biological threats to our interconnected ecosystems.”

“The Conference will bring together approximately 400 participants from different sectors, including animal health, law enforcement and security, public health, international and regional organisations, investment and development partners, private sector and industry representatives, research, academia and regulatory authorities, youth organisations.”

“Attendees will engage in thought-provoking discussions and innovative technical presentations aimed at strengthening prevention, preparedness and response capabilities across the world.”

“The event will be guided by a narrative that traces WOAH’s commitment to biological threat reduction and the increasingly relevant role it plays at the health-security interface. Against the backdrop of an uncertain future, WOAH believes that synergies between sectors can drive positive change – making the world a safer and healthier place. ”

Learn more and register here.

Mission Critical: How One Hospital Maintained Operations and Protected Patients and Staff After Hurricane Helene

From ASPR TRACIE: “In September 2024, Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4 storm, causing historic flooding, tornadoes, and widespread infrastructure damage across the Southeastern U.S. Despite total utility failures, road closures, and supply shortages, Mission Health—comprised of six acute care hospitals in the Western North Carolina region—successfully maintained critical operations, protected patients and staff, and continued providing essential services.”

“The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, Technical Resources, Assistance Center, and Information Exchange (ASPR TRACIE) invite you to learn more about this webinar featuring HCA Healthcare representatives. They will share lessons learned, including how leadership made key decisions to sustain operations, secure essential resources, ensure patient and staff safety, and expand support to the surrounding community. Learn how strong leadership, planning, and adaptability enabled a comprehensive and resilient response during and after the storm.”

This event will take place on August 27, 12:30-1:45 PM ET. Register here.

Biological Threats in the Age of Emerging Biotechnology – A Workshop Series

From NASEM: “The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) will convene an ad hoc planning committee to organize a workshop series with international scientists. The series will engage early-career and established experts to: a) examine dual-use risks in biotechnology research; b) explore potential misuse of knowledge, tools, and materials; c) review existing frameworks for assessing and mitigating dual-use concerns; and d) identify steps to reduce exploitation while promoting responsible innovation. The workshops will focus on balancing scientific progress with security considerations. Key insights and recommendations will be compiled in a publicly available workshop proceedings document.”

These workshops will take place 10 am-1 pm ET on September 10, 17, and 18. Register here.

CTD–SPECTRE Symposium, “Tropical and Emerging Infectious Diseases for Clinicians and Translational Scientists” 

“The CTD-SPECTRE Symposium on Tropical and Emerging Infectious Diseases for Clinicians and Translational Scientists 2025 offers a unique opportunity to connect with global experts, gain cutting-edge insights, and collaborate with peers dedicated to infectious disease research and treatment.”

“Taking place September 16 -19, 2025, at the historic Grand Galvez in Galveston, TX, this immersive symposium will unite clinicians, translational investigators, and trainees to explore the latest breakthroughs in tropical and emerging infectious diseases.”

“Hosted by the Division of Infectious Diseases at UTMB, Center for Tropical Diseases (CTD) and Special Pathogens Excellence in Clinical Treatment, Readiness, & Education (SPECTRE) Program.”

Learn more and register here.

Mirror Image Biology: Pushing the Envelope in Designing Biological Systems – A Workshop

From NASEM: “Most biological molecules are chiral entities where their mirror images have different structures and functional characteristics. Scientists have begun synthesizing left-handed DNA and RNA and creating proteins that can write left-handed nucleic acids. This, and other related research, is described as “mirror biology” and includes research toward creating mirror-image self-replicating living systems. The National Academies will host a foundational workshop on mirror biology, focusing on the state of the science, trends in research and development, risks and benefits of this research, and considerations relating for future governance of relevant enabling technologies.”

This event will take place virtually, September 29-30. Register here.

Global Conference on Biological Threat Reduction

From the World Organisation for Animal Health: “In October 2025, WOAH is hosting its third Global Conference, with the goal of galvanising advocacy efforts to manage the rising risk of biological threats from across the world.”

“The Global Conference on Biological Threat Reduction – which will take place in Geneva on 28-30 October 2025 – will bring together top minds in the fields of
health-security, emerging technologies, and biothreat reduction policies, from the public and private sectors – to focus on the latest strategies, challenges and innovations in combating biological threats to our interconnected ecosystems.”

“The Conference will bring together approximately 400 participants from different sectors, including animal health, law enforcement and security, public health, international and regional organisations, investment and development partners, private sector and industry representatives, research, academia and regulatory authorities, youth organisations.”

“Attendees will engage in thought-provoking discussions and innovative technical presentations aimed at strengthening prevention, preparedness and response capabilities across the world.”

“The event will be guided by a narrative that traces WOAH’s commitment to biological threat reduction and the increasingly relevant role it plays at the health-security interface. Against the backdrop of an uncertain future, WOAH believes that synergies between sectors can drive positive change – making the world a safer and healthier place. ”

Learn more and register here.

New Call for Experts to Join the Second Term of the Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens (SAGO)

“Opening call for applications from 30 July–30 August 2025”

“WHO welcomes expressions of interest for SAGO’s second term 2025-2027 from individuals with significant expertise in one or more of the technical disciplines listed below in order to ensure a multi-disciplinary One Health approach.”

“The call will open from 30 July–30 August 2025, closing at 24:00 Central European Summer Time (CEST; UTC +2) on 30 August 2025. Applications require a Curriculum Vitae, a cover letter, and signed Declaration of Interests form.”

Read more here.

Applied Biosafety Call for Papers

“The Editors of Applied Biosafety are pleased to announce a forthcoming Special Issue focused on the myriad of topics associated with global biosafety management. This special issue will showcase examples of innovative approaches, creative solutions, and best practices developed and used around the world for managing risks associated with the handling, use, and storage of infectious biological agents, toxins, and potentially infectious materials in research and clinical settings.”

Learn more and submit by November 1 here.

64th ISODARCO Course

From ISODARCO: “In recent years, the global security landscape has become increasingly volatile, shaped by a convergence of geopolitical tensions, technological advancements, and evolving nuclear doctrines. The post-Cold War order that once provided a measure of predictability in global security has eroded. Conflicts such as the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific, and strategic competition between major powers have reshaped alliances and strategic postures.”

“At the same time, disruptive technologies including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, hypersonic missiles, and cyber threats – are adding new layers of complexity to both nuclear and conventional deterrence dynamics. These technologies are not only distorting the information landscape but also compressing decision-making timelines and complicating signaling mechanisms, increasing the risk of miscalculation.”

“Effectively managing nuclear escalation risks in this environment will require a combination of innovative diplomacy, technological safeguards, and renewed dialogue mechanisms to rebuild trust, reduce misperceptions, and stabilize strategic relations.”

“The ISODARCO 2026 Winter Course presents an invaluable opportunity for students and experts to discuss and examine these dynamics in depth and explore approaches to re-establishing strategic stability and reducing nuclear dangers in a volatile world.”

This course will take place January 11-18, 2026, in Andalo. Learn more and apply here.