The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has asked state health officials to keep up with flu surveillance over the summer to watch for human-to-human spread of the H5N1 bird flu virus, according to CIDRAP. Flu surveillance generally wanes during the warmer months when there are fewer seasonal flu virus cases. H5N1 vaccines exist, but the nation is far from ready for a full-scale national vaccine program should the virus become a widespread health threat. Last week, the Department of Health and Human Services began advancing a plan to adjust a partner’s flu vaccine manufacturing line to also produce 4.8 million doses of H5N1 vaccines in bulk form for distribution.
Frequent updates: H5N1 is on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s radar. Surveillance reporting earlier this week showed just 2 human cases. However, an update on May 30, 2024, now shows 3 cases reported since early April: 1 case in Texas and 2 in Michigan.
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