Part 3/11:
Equally pressing is the availability and deployment of vaccines. Unlike initial COVID-19 responses, effective vaccines against H5N1 bird flu have long been developed and, in some cases, stockpiled. The Biden administration has contracted for nearly five million doses of an existing vaccine but has yet to seek FDA authorization for their widespread use. Experts argue that immediate authorization and distribution could mitigate the severity of a potential outbreak, especially among vulnerable populations like farm workers.