Wen on the Bird Flu: The Biden Admin Should Make Rapid Tests Available and Ask the FDA to Authorize the H5N1 Vaccine

GARRETT What should be ░░░░░░░░ in the Biden Administration ░░░░░░░░ now that isn t ░░░░░░░░ on WEN Yeah there ░░░░░░░░ two main things that ░░░░░░░░ should be doing in ░░░░░░░░ days that they have ░░░░░░░░ The first is to ░░░░░░░░ testing out there I ░░░░░░░░ like we should have ░░░░░░░░ our lesson from Covid ░░░░░░░░ just because we aren ░░░░░░░░ testing it doesn t ░░░░░░░░ that the virus isn ░░░░░░░░ there It just means ░░░░░░░░ we aren t looking ░░░░░░░░ it We should be ░░░░░░░░ rapid tests home tests ░░░░░░░░ to all farm workers ░░░░░░░░ their families for the ░░░░░░░░ taking care of them ░░░░░░░░ that we aren t ░░░░░░░░ for public labs and ░░░░░░░░ labs to tell us ░░░░░░░░ s bird flu or ░░░░░░░░ And the second very ░░░░░░░░ thing is this is ░░░░░░░░ like the beginning of ░░░░░░░░ where we were dealing ░░░░░░░░ a new virus we ░░░░░░░░ t have a vaccine ░░░░░░░░ actually is a vaccine ░░░░░░░░ already against H5N1 The ░░░░░░░░ Administration has contracted with ░░░░░░░░ to make almost 5 ░░░░░░░░ doses of the vaccine ░░░░░░░░ they have not asked ░░░░░░░░ FDA to authorize the ░░░░░░░░ There s research done ░░░░░░░░ it They could get ░░░░░░░░ authorized now and also ░░░░░░░░ the vaccine out so ░░░░░░░░ to farm workers and ░░░░░░░░ vulnerable people I think ░░░░░░░░ s the right approach ░░░░░░░░ we don t know ░░░░░░░░ the Trump Administration is ░░░░░░░░ to be doing around ░░░░░░░░ flu If they have ░░░░░░░░ coming in with anti ░░░░░░░░ stances could they hold ░░░░░░░░ vaccine authorization If they ░░░░░░░░ t want to know ░░░░░░░░ much bird flu is ░░░░░░░░ there could they withhold ░░░░░░░░ I mean that s ░░░░░░░░ possibility and I think ░░░░░░░░ Biden Administration in the ░░░░░░░░ days should get testing ░░░░░░░░ vaccines widely available so ░░░░░░░░ at least it empowers ░░░░░░░░ and local health officials ░░░░░░░░ clinicians to do the ░░░░░░░░ thing for their patients ░░░░░░░░ Dr Wen is bird ░░░░░░░░ in humans super dangerous ░░░░░░░░ Well the World Health ░░░░░░░░ estimates that in prior ░░░░░░░░ of the bird flu ░░░░░░░░ the mortality rate is ░░░░░░░░ percent 52 percent However ░░░░░░░░ the in this most ░░░░░░░░ outbreak it seems that ░░░░░░░░ cases have been mild ░░░░░░░░ maybe some people even ░░░░░░░░ asymptomatic infection But the ░░░░░░░░ is we don t ░░░░░░░░ what happens when bird ░░░░░░░░ affects more vulnerable individuals ░░░░░░░░ infected so far in ░░░░░░░░ U S have been ░░░░░░░░ farm workers who are ░░░░░░░░ presumably generally healthy as ░░░░░░░░ to what happens when ░░░░░░░░ get to children to ░░░░░░░░ women to older individuals ░░░░░░░░ chronic illnesses We don ░░░░░░░░ know how deadly how ░░░░░░░░ bird flu is going ░░░░░░░░ be for those individuals ░░░░░░░░ again that s one ░░░░░░░░ reason why we don ░░░░░░░░ want it to spread ░░░░░░░░ acquire more mutations.”