U.S. health agencies joined WHO’s flu meeting despite Trump’s plan to pull out
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently participated in a World Health Organization (WHO) meeting to discuss the composition of flu vaccines, as confirmed by a WHO official. This comes at a time when President Donald Trump initiated a 12-month withdrawal process for the U.S. to exit the WHO, impacting global health programs that rely on U.S. support.
Maria Van Kerkhove, Director of Department of Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness and Prevention at WHO, expressed hope for the U.S. to resume collaboration in the near future. Despite the current pause, the U.S. is still contributing valuable information from the Department of Agriculture, particularly on the animal side.
The WHO recently announced its recommendations for the composition of influenza vaccines for the 2025-2026 season in the Northern Hemisphere. These include updated H3N2 strains and additional strains of bird flu viruses for zoonotic vaccines, following a human case detected in Australia last year.
While the U.S. has scaled back its involvement with the WHO, it has not withdrawn from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the specialized health agency for the Americas. However, disruptions have been reported in vaccine-related regulatory meetings in the U.S. following the appointment of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the head of the Department of Health and Human Services.
Overall, the global health community is navigating challenges in vaccine development and regulation amidst shifting political landscapes. It is crucial for countries to prioritize public health cooperation to address current and future health threats effectively.
