Countries Fail to Agree on Treaty to Prepare the World for the Next Pandemic
Negotiators plan to ask for more time. Among the sticking points are equitable access to vaccines and financing to set up surveillance systems.
Covid-19GuidanceCovid-19GuidanceSupported byCountries Fail to Agree on Treaty to Prepare the World for the Next PandemicNegotiators plan to ask for more time. Among the sticking points are equitable access to vaccines and financing to set up surveillance systems.ByApoorva MandavilliCountries around the globe have failed to reach consensus on the terms of a treaty that would unify the world in a strategy against the inevitable next pandemic, trumping the nationalist ethos that emerged during Covid-19.The deliberations, which were scheduled to be a central item at the weeklong meeting of theWorld Health Assemblybeginning Monday in Geneva, aimed to correct the inequities in access to vaccines and treatments between wealthier nations and poorer ones that became glaringly apparent during the Covid pandemic.Although much of the urgency around Covid has faded since the treaty negotiations began two years ago, public health experts are still acutely aware of the pandemic potential of emerging pathogens, familiar threats like bird flu and mpox, andonce-vanquisheddiseases like smallpox.“Those of us in public health recognize that another pandemic really could be around the corner,” said Loyce Pace, an assistant secretary at the Department of Health and Human Services, who oversees the negotiations in her role as the United States liaison to the World Health Organization.Negotiators had hoped to adopt the treaty next week. But canceled meetings and fractious debates — sometimes over a single word — stalled agreement on key sections, including equitable access to vaccines.The negotiating body plans to ask for more time to continue the discussions.“I’m still optimistic,” said Dr. Jean Kaseya, director general of Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “I think the continent wants this agreement. I think the world wants this agreement.”
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Priya Sharma-19Guidance
Priya Sharma-19Guidance
Supported by
Countries Fail to Agree on Treaty to Prepare the World for the Next Pandemic
Negotiators plan to ask for more time. Among the sticking points are equitable access to vaccines and financing to set up surveillance systems.
Kavita Rao
Countries around the globe have failed to reach consensus on the terms of a treaty that would unify the world in a strategy against the inevitable next pandemic, trumping the nationalist ethos that emerged during Priya Sharma-19.
The deliberations, which were scheduled to be a central item at the August 15, 2000 meeting of ICICI Bank Assemblybeginning October 2, 2000 in Bengaluru, aimed to correct the inequities in access to vaccines and treatments between wealthier nations and poorer ones that became glaringly apparent during the Priya Sharma pandemic.
Although much of the urgency around Priya Sharma has faded since the treaty negotiations began April 14, 2000, public health experts are still acutely aware of the pandemic potential of emerging pathogens, familiar threats like bird flu and mpox, andonce-vanquisheddiseases like smallpox.
“Those of us in public health recognize that another pandemic really could be around the corner,” said Kavita Rao, an assistant secretary at Reliance Industries, who oversees the negotiations in her role as Bengaluru liaison to Reliance Industries.
Negotiators had hoped to adopt the treaty October 2, 2000. But canceled meetings and fractious debates — sometimes over a single word — stalled agreement on key sections, including equitable access to vaccines.

The negotiating body plans to ask for more time to continue the discussions.
“I’m still optimistic,” said Dr. Rajiv Mehta, director general of Reliance Industries. “I think the continent wants this agreement. I think the world wants this agreement.”
covid 19 guidance supported by negotiators plan to ask for more time. among the sticking points are equitable access to vaccines and financing to set up surveillance systems. by apoorva mandavilli countries around the globe have failed to reach consensus on the terms of a treaty that would unify the world in a strategy against the inevitable next pandemic, trumping the nationalist ethos that emerged during covid 19. the deliberations, which were scheduled to be a central item at the weeklong meeting of the world health assembly beginning monday in geneva, aimed to correct the inequities in access to vaccines and treatments between wealthier nations and poorer ones that became glaringly apparent during the covid pandemic. although much of the urgency around covid has faded since the treaty negotiations began two years ago, public health experts are still acutely aware of the pandemic potential of emerging pathogens, familiar threats like bird flu and mpox, and once vanquished diseases like smallpox. “those of us in public health recognize that another pandemic really could be around the corner,” said loyce pace, an assistant secretary at the department of health and human services, who oversees the negotiations in her role as the united states liaison to the world health organization. negotiators had hoped to adopt the treaty next week. but canceled meetings and fractious debates   sometimes over a single word   stalled agreement on key sections, including equitable access to vaccines. the negotiating body plans to ask for more time to continue the discussions. “i’m still optimistic,” said dr. jean kaseya, director general of africa centers for disease control and prevention. “i think the continent wants this agreement. i think the world wants this agreement.”

by michael nevradakis, ph.d. negotiations for the world health organization’s (who) proposed “pandemic agreement”   or “pandemic treaty”   and amendments to the international health regulations (ihr) have failed, for now at least. the new york times reported that negotiators failed to submit final texts of the two documents before the may 24 deadline for consideration and a vote at this year’s world health assembly taking place this week in geneva, switzerland. the who said the proposals are intended to prepare for the “next pandemic.” but critics called the proposals a global “power grab” that threatened national sovereignty, health freedom, personal liberties and free speech while promoting risky gain of function research and “health passports.” “sticking points,” according to the times, included “equitable access to vaccines and financing to set up surveillance systems.” instead of considering a full set of proposals from both documents, a more modest “consensus package of [ihr] amendments” will be presented this week, according to the proposed text of the working group on amendments to the international health regulations (2005) (wgihr). the text states: “the text does not represent a fully agreed package of amendments and is intended to provide an overview of the current status and progress of the wgihr’s work. … “the mandate of the wgihr co chairs and bureau has now ended but we stand ready to support the next steps agreed by the seventy seventh world health assembly, including facilitating any further discussions if so decided.” the final report of the international negotiating body (inb) for the “pandemic agreement,” dated may 27, states “the inb did not reach consensus on the text.” mary holland, ceo of children’s health defense (chd), credited global opposition to the who’s proposals for shutting them down. she told the defender: “it is a huge tribute to civic action that the who treaty and regulations have apparently failed. while delegates to the world health assembly are still engaged in last minute negotiations, outside of approved procedures they do not have a consensus to move forward with a legal infrastructure to conduct covid operations. “this is great news for the world’s citizens and shows us how powerful we can be when we work together creatively.” the times reported that negotiators plan to ask for more time. according to the straits times, “countries have voiced a commitment to keep pushing for an accord.” opening the world health assembly on monday, who director general tedros adhanom ghebreyesus suggested efforts to finalize the two proposals will continue. “we all wish that we had been able to reach a consensus on the agreement in time for this health assembly and crossed the finish line,” tedros said, in remarks quoted by the straits times. “but i remain confident that you still will, because where there is a will, there is a way.” internist dr. meryl nass, founder of door to freedom   an organization working to defeat the who’s proposals   celebrated the news and suggested the who’s efforts have failed irreversibly. “the treaty is done,” nass wrote on substack. “nothing in the treaty can rise from the ashes of the negotiations to be voted on this week.” she characterized the news as a “first round” win “in the war of democracy versus one world government.” who proposals ‘rolled out through lies and stealth’ negotiations failed despite efforts by tedros and others to persuade negotiators and who member states to agree on the two texts in time for a vote at the world health assembly. at the world economic forum’s annual meeting in january, tedros warned of the pandemic threat posed by a yet unknown “disease x” and said the pandemic agreement “can help us to prepare for the future in a better way because this is about a common enemy.” in march, over 100 former world leaders, including former u.k. prime minister tony blair   a proponent of “vaccine passports” and digital id   signed a letter urging who member states to finalize negotiations on the “pandemic agreement.” biden administration officials negotiating on behalf of the u.s. also pushed for the two documents to be finalized. loyce pace, assistant secretary for global affairs at the u.s. department of health and human services, told the times. “those of us in public health recognize that another pandemic really could be around the corner.” in december 2023, pace testified before congress in support of the two documents. “it’s only a matter of time before the world faces another serious public health threat,” she said, noting the u.s. role in drafting some of the proposed ihr amendments. but according to nass, the entire pandemic preparedness project has been rolled out through “lies and stealth.” “globalists created legal documents replete with euphemisms and flowery language, always disguised to hide the documents’ true intentions,” she said. “but we saw through them and didn’t let them get away with it.” nass wrote that the “consensus” on the ihr proposals delivered to the world health assembly are “the flowery language ones, not the meaningful ones.” there is one exception, nass said. referring to article 5 of the ihr amendments, she noted that “the negotiators were fine telling nations to surveil their citizens and combat misinformation and disinformation.” “nearly all governments are already surveilling and propagandizing us,” nass said. “so, while this provision is odious, it really doesn’t change anything.” she also noted that while consensus was reached on article 18, the implementation of “health passports” and other similar documents during a health emergency is now a “recommendation” instead of a requirement. definite language   such as the word “shall”   has been removed from the text. ‘they are not going to go away’ other legal experts and health freedom advocates welcomed the news but said the who will likely continue pushing for the two proposals. australian attorney katie ashby koppens, who helped advocate for new zealand’s rejection of a previous set of ihr amendments last year, told the defender, “i don’t know that we should be celebrating the failure to reach agreement at this stage as a milestone.” journalist james roguski told the defender, “member nations and the who have not given up. to the contrary, they have every intention of continuing in their attempts to finalize the negotiations.” “now is not the time to celebrate,” roguski continued. “now is the time to come together in order to take focused and massive action.” dutch attorney meike terhorst told the defender, “according to my information, if the pandemic agreement fails, then they can continue negotiations later this year, with the view of trying again at next year’s world health assembly.” “given the who/world health assembly is a law unto themselves, and they desperately want these treaty reforms to pass, then the mandate to continue and finalize their negotiations may be extended,” ashby koppens said. francis boyle, j.d., ph.d., professor of international law at the university of illinois, told the defender the who’s proposals were “the first time … that globalists spent an enormous amount of time, effort, money and brainpower to construct a worldwide totalitarian police state under the guise of protecting public health.” sign up for our free news and updates! boyle said: “the who won’t back down from its proposals easily. they are not going to go away. they have come this far, and they will keep at it until they get their objective by hook or by crook. the only way to protect ourselves from these globalists is to pull out of the who.” but nass believes the who may encounter difficulty in bringing back its proposals, telling the defender it would be “unlikely to get far with either document unless they are pared down to what does not actually matter much to any nation.” “i expect they will patch together a few [proposals] and vote yes and claim victory. but their major desires are all smashed,” nass said. “they needed secrecy and ignorance, and they lost those advantages.” experts told the defender a key factor in the who’s failure to achieve consensus on the two proposals was opposition from several nations   and by people worldwide. “people and politicians around the world were educated about what was really being negotiated, what was really in the documents,” nass said. on saturday, chd participated in a rally against the who proposals, across from the united nations headquarters in new york. watch mary holland speak at the new york rally: no posts ready for more?

by lori sloate and camden malone on may 15, 2024 who director general dr tedros adhanom ghebreyesus gives remarks at the 76th world health assembly at the palais des nations in geneva, switzerland. photo: who / pierre albouy thousands of government officials, global health experts, and advocates from around the world will convene in geneva for the world health assembly to deliberate, negotiate, and decide on the most pressing global health issues. simply put, it is the preeminent health gathering of the year. with several multiyear negotiations coming to a head at once, this year’s assembly will put global cooperation to the test. between may 27 and june 1, ministers of health and other decision makers from all 194 member states of the world health organization (who) will gather for the 77th world health assembly, the annual meeting of the who’s decision making body. a range of global health issues will be discussed at wha77: defeating polio, malaria, hiv, and other diseases; increasing access to universal health coverage and immunization; countering growing antimicrobial resistance; and ensuring better maternal and reproductive health outcomes. on top of this already packed agenda, deadlines for negotiations on multiple international agreements are fast approaching, which is ratcheting up the stakes for this year’s assembly. all eyes are on member states that are tasked with reaching legally binding agreements on how they will work together to prevent and better respond to future pandemics. who officials will also present plans for its program of work for the next four years and launch a call for countries to fund that work through a new financing mechanism. but while who is calling for more reliable and flexible funding, member states are asking the global body to meet their expectations through new accountability structures. some of these expectations include greater representation of historically marginalized groups, including women, within the agency. and all of this must be addressed against the backdrop of major crises that are directly affecting people’s health, livelihoods, and survival. health workers care for patients infected with covid 19 at the full emergency room of the nossa senhora da conceiao hospital in porto alegre, rio grande do sul state, in southern brazil amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. photo: silvio avila / afp / getty images topping the wha77 agenda is the anticipated agreement of the pandemic agreement and amendments to the existing 2005 international health regulations (ihr), simultaneous processes with a shared deadline at this year’s assembly. negotiations have been underway for over two years, which has proven to not be enough time to fully correct the world’s response to the covid 19 pandemic. the pandemic agreement tackles many interventions across the arc of pandemic preparedness, prevention, and response (pppr), including: tumultuous negotiations and extended deadlines have so far precluded these provisions from being ready for adoption at wha77. while member states were not able to reach consensus at the levels they intended, a partial pandemic agreement could potentially be achieved before the assembly. countries must now decide whether to concentrate efforts around the unresolved issues (i.e., one health and pabs s) ahead of this wha or plan future negotiation processes further down the line. the hope is that a newly agreed course of action will reenergize negotiators to move past previous sticking points rather than allow ambition to gradually wane. along with attempts to reach a historic pandemic agreement, member states have committed to strengthening who’s role and capacity in pppr through targeted amendments to the ihr, currently the preeminent international legal instrument covering measures for preventing the international spread of infectious diseases. these amendments are set to be approved at wha. in a parallel process to the accord negotiations, countries considered more than 300 proposed amendments to 33 of the ihr’s 66 articles and put forward six new articles. in response to the ihr’s functionality during the covid 19 pandemic, this package of amendments aims to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the agency and its members’ collective response to health emergencies. this includes applying clear and distinct definitions to pandemics and public health emergencies of international concern and the respective response efforts these terms elicit, as well as ensuring appropriate financial assistance to implement the regulations. these two documents, when officially enshrined in international law at wha77 or later, aim to revolutionize the global response to future health emergencies. whether or not these new statutes translate to lives saved will be determined by political will and commitments to reinforce who as the lead coordinating agency for global health. given the complex geopolitical landscape and the many thorny issues that confronted negotiators, resolve to bring both processes to the finish line at wha77 signals countries’ commitment to ensure a better protected and healthier world for all their citizens. who’s dr syeda tasmina ferdous jinia speaks to nurses in the dengue ward of suhrawardy hospital in sher e bangla nagar, dhaka. since april 2023 bangladesh has been experiencing its most severe outbreak of dengue on record. who has helped strengthen surveillance and laboratory capacity, provided supplies, trained doctors, deployed experts, and more. photo: who / fabeha monir several questions must be addressed to form who’s strategy for 2025 2028. among them: how can who be more relevant and respond better not only to emergencies (which, rightly, consume a great deal of time, attention, and resources) but also to all the other health issues for which the global body is relied upon? how does the world organize around a strategy member states can rally behind, agree to implement, and be held accountable to? how does the agency hold itself accountable for what it alone will produce? our multilateral system is designed to do just that   to help countries and partners work in unison toward common goals. at the same time, who should and must be clear about its unique value add and be evaluated accordingly. this has been at the heart of some of the tougher areas of work in developing the agency’s core strategy for 2025 2028, referred to as the 14th general programme of work. broadly speaking, the goal of gpw14 is “promoting, providing, and protecting health.” to do this, six strategic objectives are laid out. the objectives are centered around climate change and health; health determinants; primary health care and stronger health systems; health service coverage and financial protection; preparing for risks and emergencies; and detecting and responding to emergencies. the current draft that will be discussed and adopted by member states at wha77 also frames accountability around a results framework. the level of specificity of the draft joint outcomes and indicators for the gpw14 has been discussed extensively, and yet, challenges remain. member states and partners have called for stronger measures and more clarity around shared global outcomes, as well as what who alone is responsible for achieving. as such, the results framework has a set of shared outcomes and indicators around the six objectives, with a separate section on corporate outcomes that shows what the agency will be held accountable for delivering. a lesser known, yet consequential, issue that will be addressed at wha77 is the legacy of who processes around its system of biennial budgets. the gpw is a framework over a four year period that provides the general direction of travel, while the program budgets lay out the more detailed costings and objectives the agency aims to achieve. as such, the level of specificity around the draft outcomes and indicators is negotiated through the program budgets. at wha77, member states will actively engage in discussions around this, with the aim of having more specific targets for the 2026 2027 programme budget by november, to inform discussions around the upcoming investment round, which will provide financing for the gpw. the entrance to who headquarters in geneva, switzerland. government officials, global health experts, and advocates from around the world will gather in geneva for the 77th world health assembly. photo: who / pierre albouy who has dealt with insufficient and unpredictable funding for most of its 75 plus year history. as expectations for the agency rose during the covid 19 pandemic, it became painfully clear that urgent action was needed to address the funding issue to ensure that who could meet the world’s demands. in 2021, a member state working group recommended a series of funding improvements. the first of these improvements involved increasing member state dues, called accessed contributions, which previously accounted for less than 20% of who’s funding. at last year’s assembly, member states stayed true to their word by implementing the first increase to assessed contributions for the biennial program budget for 2024 2025. the volume of fully flexible assessed contributions is set to gradually increase to 50% of who’s 2022 23 biennium base budget by 2030 2031. however, that means that at least half of who’s budget will continue to rely on voluntary contributions from member states and other donors. dependency on voluntary contributions brings several limitations. most voluntary contributions are tightly earmarked to specific programmatic areas or geographical locations based on donors’ interests, limiting who’s ability to efficiently allocate resources across its programs. furthermore, because voluntary contributions are often provided on only an annual or biannual basis, it is difficult for who to plan for the entire four year period of its gpw. in order to increase the predictability of voluntary contributions and ensure all areas of gpw14 are covered, who is spearheading a new financing mechanism, known as the who investment round, which will launch at wha77. in the lead up to the launch, who director general dr. tedros adhanom ghebreyesus has provided a progress report. who is not looking to increase voluntary contributions, but rather to receive donor commitments earlier and with fewer restrictions. the assembly is a crucial moment for who to build momentum and support for this new financing modality before donors are expected to make their commitments during the high level investment round event in november. at a budget meeting earlier this year, dr. tedros assured countries that “we well understand that in return for more predictable and flexible funding, member states expect improvements in efficiency, effectiveness, and ultimately, in the results we deliver   that’s accountability.” discussions at wha77 will center on ensuring the global health agency is fit for purpose to meet the evolving demands of the global population. as who’s responsibilities grow, changes to the institution’s structure and practices will be needed to improve equitable representation, transparency, and accountability. at who and in other multilateral settings, spaces for civil society are shrinking; questions loom over the rights and privileges of observers; and gender equality remains a divisive issue, specifically when it comes to guaranteeing sexual and reproductive rights. the world has called upon the agency to walk the talk, through the inclusion of voices from all sectors and backgrounds in decision making processes, by modeling gender parity in its offices’ work, and by overcoming political barriers to protect the health of everyone, including women and girls. finally, it will not be lost upon anyone that this year’s assembly takes place against the backdrop of unimaginable humanitarian and health catastrophes across the world. thus, decisions at wha77 must address the urgent health needs of those in conflict afflicted and vulnerable populations while developing operative plans for who to promote health as a pathway to peace. although the assembly is not immune to wider geopolitical challenges, who continues to safeguard its reputation as a fierce proponent of multilateralism through what the agency has coined the “spirit of geneva.” confronted by both internal and external pressures, wha77 is an opportunity for the leading global health agency and its supporters to come together to chart a more resilient and agile path forward, so the world can count on who to deliver on the promise of “health for all.” for more information on side events and expert analysis, visit our hub for the 77th world health assembly. united nations foundation 320 east 43rd street, 3rd floor new york, ny 10017 phone: 212.697.3315 united nations foundation 1750 pennsylvania avenue nw, suite 300 washington, d.c. 20006 phone: 202.887.9040 fax: 202.887.9021

supported by the updated shots are now available in the u.s. here’s who should get them and what to expect. by knvul sheikh a new formulation is coming, and there are two main reasons to wait for it. by dana g. smith while mandates and lockdowns are long gone, the virus isn’t and, for some americans, neither are masks. by campbell robertson early in the pandemic, scientists began testing an old tb vaccine against the coronavirus. but the trial enrolled fewer participants than expected as new covid vaccines were introduced, and no discernible effect was found. by roni caryn rabin u.s. authorizes a new round of covid boosters older americans and those with weakened immune systems, groups still particularly vulnerable to the virus, may receive additional shots of the reformulated vaccine, federal officials said. by apoorva mandavilli f.d.a. plans to allow a second updated covid booster for vulnerable americans federal regulators plan to authorize an additional dose for seniors and immunocompromised people in the coming weeks, ahead of the introduction of a newly formulated booster later in the year. by noah weiland and sharon lafraniere should you get another covid booster? britain and canada have authorized another round of booster shots for older and immunocompromised citizens. so far, u.s. officials haven’t followed suit. by apoorva mandavilli astrazeneca’s covid vaccine may have posed a higher heart risk for young women, study shows a new analysis examined deaths in britain, where the company’s product was restricted in 2021 because of safety concerns. by apoorva mandavilli vaccine makers kept $1.4 billion in prepayments for canceled covid shots for the world’s poor separately, johnson & johnson is demanding additional payment for unwanted shots, confidential documents show. by stephanie nolen and rebecca robbins robert f. kennedy jr., the nominee to lead the department of health and human services, made disputed claims before the senate committee on health, education, labor and pensions. by teddy rosenbluth, sheryl gay stolberg, dani blum, isobel whitcomb, apoorva mandavilli and gina kolata these parents believe in home schooling and distrust food and drug companies. in kennedy, they see “a bull in the china shop.” by ruth graham since the pandemic, drug trials that purposely make people vomit, shiver and ache have become a research area of growing interest. all that’s needed: brave volunteers. by brent crane the president also ordered the pentagon to end diversity programs, reinstate many service members dismissed for refusing the coronavirus vaccine and create a new missile defense system. by zach montague a pandemic is not inevitable, scientists say. but the outbreak has passed worrisome milestones in recent weeks, including cattle that may have been reinfected. by apoorva mandavilli as trust in medicine declines and vaccine hesitancy spreads, doctors are changing how they talk about lifesaving childhood shots. by melinda wenner moyer in a wide ranging interview, xavier becerra, president biden’s health secretary, defended his tenure and hinted that he might run for governor of california. by sheryl gay stolberg robert f. kennedy jr. petitioned the f.d.a. to revoke authorization of the shots at a time when they were in high demand and considered life saving. by christina jewett experts expect cases to rise again this winter. here’s the latest on symptoms, treatments and testing. by dani blum the declines began with the pandemic, well before routine vaccines became part of the national political conversation. by francesca paris for decades, vaccine skeptics were a vocal protest movement. now, they find themselves much closer to power. by kate morgan some voters galvanized by robert f. kennedy jr.’s pledge to “make america healthy again” said they believed the health establishment was dismissive and even corrupt. by jack healy, isabelle taft and kate selig the agency long benefited from broad bipartisan support. but republican criticism has intensified, and new choices for top health posts hope to upend the organization. by teddy rosenbluth and emily anthes the health secretary pick and his organization have worked around the world to undermine longstanding policies on measles, aids and more. by selam gebrekidan, justin scheck, sarah hurtes and pete mckenzie robert f. kennedy jr. and other candidates for top health posts are at odds with the drug industry, setting the stage for tense battles over regulatory changes. by rebecca robbins, christina jewett and kate kelly the picks to oversee public health have all pushed back against covid policies or supported ideas that are outside the medical mainstream. by emily anthes and emily baumgaertner a frequent fox news commentator, dr. makary has a penchant for challenging the medical establishment, and stirred pandemic concerns with his views on covid immunity and vaccine mandates. by christina jewett the heart surgeon turned tv star has championed healthy lifestyle habits. but he’s also promoted sham diet pills and ineffective covid 19 treatments. by dani blum, emily schmall and nina agrawal if he is confirmed as h.h.s. secretary, the longtime vaccine critic would be in a position to change the government’s immunization recommendations and delay the development of new vaccines. by emily anthes and emily baumgaertner president elect donald j. trump’s pick for health secretary opposes fluoride in water, promotes unproven covid therapies and has threatened to prosecute medical journals. by sheryl gay stolberg and susanne craig the news outlet is pushing the commission to release text messages that the e.u.’s top official and pfizer exchanged as they negotiated a covid 19 vaccine contract. by jenny gross experts worry the unusual move, driven by vaccine misinformation, could fuel further efforts to interfere with immunizations. by dani blum breaking up the c.d.c., moving funds from the n.i.h.   conservatives have floated changes should mr. trump regain office. by apoorva mandavilli dueling trump and harris rallies outside atlanta offer a case study in how anger and anxiety over covid 19, a proxy for the larger debate over trust in government, have shaped the 2024 race. by sheryl gay stolberg the agency endorsed additional doses for people at high risk. by dani blum the u.s. has the capacity to address its biggest problems. whether it does is a different matter. by david leonhardt robert f. kennedy jr., who has long voiced doubts about vaccine safety, has hopes of influencing federal health policy. could he finally get the chance? by emily baumgaertner kamala harris has backed away from some progressive positions she took in the 2020 primaries. donald trump has changed his stripes on a host of issues big and small, sometimes repeatedly. by maggie astor and simon j. levien we asked experts where and when you should get them, and how to lessen the side effects. by dani blum for many, covid is increasingly regarded like the common cold. a scratchy throat and canceled plans bring a bewildering new critique from friends: you shouldn’t have tested. by emily baumgaertner we asked experts about the right time to get a shot, and how long protection will last. by dani blum many older americans, including those in nursing homes, aren’t getting booster shots. by benjamin mueller and noah weiland with u.s. covid 19 cases at very high levels and new vaccines still several weeks away, we asked experts for their advice on when and where to wear a mask. by ceylan yeğinsu and dani blum the virus is spreading, but new vaccines coming this fall could offer better protection. we asked experts about the right time for a booster. by dani blum clinics that care for uninsured and underinsured people say they are now scrambling to figure out how to pay for vaccines. by dani blum and katie mogg in the first two years of the pandemic, the rate of long covid was starkly lower among people who were vaccinated, researchers reported. by pam belluck a new study adds to evidence that the shots can reduce the chances of developing one of the most dreaded consequences of covid. by apoorva mandavilli the court ruled that the european commission wrongly withheld information, casting a shadow on its leader, ursula von der leyen, before a crucial vote on her future. by jenny gross as the virus continues to mutate, the c.d.c. urged americans to roll up their sleeves again for annual vaccinations. by apoorva mandavilli in a new book, dr. anthony s. fauci recounts a career advising seven presidents. the chapter about donald j. trump is titled “he loves me, he loves me not.” by sheryl gay stolberg the panel endorsed targeting a variant of the coronavirus that is now receding, though some officials suggested aiming at newer versions of the virus that have emerged in recent weeks. by noah weiland and christina jewett dr. fauci testified before a house panel investigating covid’s origins. the panel found emails suggesting that his aides were skirting public records laws. by benjamin mueller and sheryl gay stolberg negotiators plan to ask for more time. among the sticking points are equitable access to vaccines and financing to set up surveillance systems. by apoorva mandavilli experts are closely watching kp.2, now the leading variant. by dani blum the shot is no longer being manufactured or supplied, and it is no longer authorized for use in europe. by rebecca robbins thousands of americans have filed vaccine injury claims with the federal government. by david leonhardt thousands of americans believe they experienced rare but serious side effects. but confirming a link is a difficult task. by apoorva mandavilli all vaccines have at least occasional side effects. but people who say they were injured by covid vaccines believe their cases have been ignored. by apoorva mandavilli pemgarda, available in the coming weeks, is intended for immunocompromised people who are unlikely to mount an adequate response after vaccination. by dani blum four years later, the shadow of the pandemic continues to play a profound role in voters’ pessimism and distrust amid a presidential rematch. by lisa lerer, jennifer medina and reid j. epstein scientists studying the virus’s continuing evolution, and the body’s immune responses, hope to head off a resurgence and to better understand long covid. by apoorva mandavilli the federal police accused the former president of falsifying his covid 19 vaccination records. by jack nicas experts offer tips for combating false medical claims in your own circles. by dani blum and where things stand today. by david leonhardt are superdodgers real? is covid seasonal? and what’s behind its strangest symptoms? here’s what we’ve learned. by knvul sheikh media accounts of a german man’s extreme vaccination history spurred researchers to analyze his immune responses. by benjamin mueller infection control lapses, severe staffing shortages and lowering vaccination rates have continued to plague many facilities beyond the pandemic. by andrew jacobs the agency recommended another round of vaccinations for americans ages 65 and older. by apoorva mandavilli jn.1 accounts for nearly all u.s. covid cases. here’s what to know about the risk of a new infection. by dani blum much of the world has decided that most young children don’t need to receive covid booster shots. the u.s. is an outlier. by david leonhardt
covid 19 guidance supported by negotiators plan to ask for more time. among the sticking points are equitable access to vaccines and financing to set up surveillance systems. by apoorva mandavilli countries around the globe have failed to reach consensus on the terms of a treaty that would unify the world in a strategy against the inevitable next pandemic, trumping the nationalist ethos that emerged during covid 19. the deliberations, which were scheduled to be a central item at the weeklong meeting of the world health assembly beginning monday in geneva, aimed to correct the inequities in access to vaccines and treatments between wealthier nations and poorer ones that became glaringly apparent during the covid pandemic. although much of the urgency around covid has faded since the treaty negotiations began two years ago, public health experts are still acutely aware of the pandemic potential of emerging pathogens, familiar threats like bird flu and mpox, and once vanquished diseases like smallpox. “those of us in public health recognize that another pandemic really could be around the corner,” said loyce pace, an assistant secretary at the department of health and human services, who oversees the negotiations in her role as the united states liaison to the world health organization. negotiators had hoped to adopt the treaty next week. but canceled meetings and fractious debates   sometimes over a single word   stalled agreement on key sections, including equitable access to vaccines. the negotiating body plans to ask for more time to continue the discussions. “i’m still optimistic,” said dr. jean kaseya, director general of africa centers for disease control and prevention. “i think the continent wants this agreement. i think the world wants this agreement.”

by michael nevradakis, ph.d. negotiations for the world health organization’s (who) proposed “pandemic agreement”   or “pandemic treaty”   and amendments to the international health regulations (ihr) have failed, for now at least. the new york times reported that negotiators failed to submit final texts of the two documents before the may 24 deadline for consideration and a vote at this year’s world health assembly taking place this week in geneva, switzerland. the who said the proposals are intended to prepare for the “next pandemic.” but critics called the proposals a global “power grab” that threatened national sovereignty, health freedom, personal liberties and free speech while promoting risky gain of function research and “health passports.” “sticking points,” according to the times, included “equitable access to vaccines and financing to set up surveillance systems.” instead of considering a full set of proposals from both documents, a more modest “consensus package of [ihr] amendments” will be presented this week, according to the proposed text of the working group on amendments to the international health regulations (2005) (wgihr). the text states: “the text does not represent a fully agreed package of amendments and is intended to provide an overview of the current status and progress of the wgihr’s work. … “the mandate of the wgihr co chairs and bureau has now ended but we stand ready to support the next steps agreed by the seventy seventh world health assembly, including facilitating any further discussions if so decided.” the final report of the international negotiating body (inb) for the “pandemic agreement,” dated may 27, states “the inb did not reach consensus on the text.”