U.S. Government Lifts 3-Year Moratorium On Pandemic Virus Research, Releases New Funding Framework
New York Times: A Federal Ban on Making Lethal Viruses Is Lifted
“Federal officials on Tuesday ended a moratorium imposed three years ago on funding research that alters germs to make them more lethal. Such work can now proceed, said Dr. Francis S. Collins, the head of the National Institutes of Health, but only if a scientific panel decides that the benefits justify the risks…” (McNeil, 12/19).
NPR: NIH Lifts Ban On Research That Could Make Deadly Viruses Even Worse
“…The research involves three viruses — influenza, SARS, and MERS — that could kill millions if they mutated in a way that let the germs spread quickly among people. … On Tuesday, the Department of Health and Human Services released a new framework for making decisions about funding research that has the potential to create a new pandemic strain…” (Greenfieldboyce, 12/19).
The KFF Daily Global Health Policy Report summarized news and information on global health policy from hundreds of sources, from May 2009 through December 2020. All summaries are archived and available via search.