Biodefense Plans Progress Slowly

A new evaluation from the Bipartisan WMD Terrorism Research Center concerning U.S. preparations to respond to a major biological attack finds that little progress is being made. The center’s latest report card gives Congress an F for its lack of action to improve how the nation would handle a biological attack by terrorists. The report notes that the Biomedical Advanced Research & Development Authority is just beginning to move on building the nation’s capacity to rapidly manufacture drugs and vaccines. In addition, Project BioShield, the NIH program to work on medical countermeasures, has a declining budget. It also states that the government has not developed prioritized research goals or product requirements for medical countermeasures as recommended by the center last year. The WMD Center was created in 2010 from the congressional Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation & Terrorism after the commission completed its work.