Increase funding for public health surveillance to detect and respond to emerging infectious diseases promptly.
Pandemics
Pandemics Risk
Assessment for this date
Today's pandemic risk is moderate due to rising COVID-19 levels, emerging avian flu cases, and ongoing challenges in vaccine uptake and misinformation.
July 26, 2025
Trend
Viewing the record for July 26, 2025 within the full trend.
Risk Drivers
What is pushing the current reading.
The current pandemic risk is influenced by a slight increase in COVID-19 levels in certain US regions, as well as the emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants and the spread of H5N1 avian flu in multiple countries. Despite the availability of vaccines, uptake remains low among high-risk groups, such as cancer patients, which could exacerbate the impact of these diseases. Moreover, misinformation and public distrust in vaccines continue to pose challenges to public health efforts. Surveillance tools are improving, but gaps in data and the spread of misinformation hinder effective response strategies.
Risk Reduction Actions
Priority actions generated from the current analysis.
Encourage and facilitate vaccine uptake, especially among high-risk populations, to prevent severe outcomes.
Combat misinformation by providing clear, evidence-based information about vaccines and disease prevention.
Develop and deploy advanced predictive tools for tracking and managing infectious disease outbreaks.
Strengthen global cooperation and data sharing to address cross-border health threats effectively.
Sources Monitored
Visible feeds used in this category's nightly run.
Selected Articles
Supporting articles referenced in the latest score.
- US COVID levels continue slight upward trend
- US COVID levels rise a bit in West, South
- COVID-19 vaccines offer strong protection for cancer patients, but uptake remains low
- Quick takes: More H5N1 in dairy cattle, US COVID wastewater uptick, polio in Pakistan
- Bangladesh and India alert WHO about new H5N1 infections
- Saudi Arabia confirms 9 MERS cases, including hospital cluster