U.S. withdrawal from WHO threatens to leave it 'flying blind' on flu vaccines

“Without access to the intelligence coming from other institutions at the table, the U.S. would be “flying blind,” said Nancy Cox, who retired from the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control in 2014 after leading the agency’s influenza division for 22 years.”

https://www.statnews.com/2020/06/29/u-s-withdrawal-from-who-threatens-to-leave-it-flying-blind-on-flu-vaccines/

By HELEN BRANSWELL @HelenBranswell JUNE 29, 2020

Twice a year, influenza experts from 10 institutions around the world meet at the World Health Organization’s Geneva headquarters to pore over mounds of data. At the end of the weeklong meetings, they make decisions that affect people around the world: namely, which variants of the flu virus should be used for vaccinations the following season.

While the selections don’t always hit the mark — influenza is notoriously hard to predict — it’s the best process health officials have to keep flu vaccines up to date and try to protect people from the annual scourge.

Now, with the pending withdrawal of the United States from the WHO, the future of the process — or at least America’s involvement in it — is in question. President Trump has criticized the global health agency’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, and other earlier health crises; he has cited that as his rationale for withdrawing from the WHO, which was established more than 60 years ago.

Currently, the flu strain selection group includes three seats for institutions from the United States, which uses more flu vaccine than any other country in the world. It’s unclear how the U.S. officials might try to preserve its role in the process, or whether it could.

. . . more