Increase public health campaigns to promote vaccination and counter misinformation.
Pandemics
Pandemics Risk
Assessment for this date
Today's pandemic risk is moderate due to rising COVID-19 activity, persistent vaccine hesitancy, and the emergence of other infectious diseases like H5N1 and MERS.
August 13, 2025
Trend
Viewing the record for August 13, 2025 within the full trend.
Risk Drivers
What is pushing the current reading.
The current landscape shows an uptick in COVID-19 cases in the US, coupled with significant vaccine hesitancy, particularly regarding the fall COVID booster. This is compounded by disruptions in routine vaccinations for children and teens, which could lead to increased vulnerability to various infectious diseases. Additionally, the emergence of H5N1 avian flu cases and MERS in Saudi Arabia highlights ongoing threats from other pathogens. The cancellation of further work on the mRNA vaccine platform by HHS could hinder future pandemic preparedness. These factors, along with misinformation and declining trust in public health institutions, contribute to a moderate risk level.
Risk Reduction Actions
Priority actions generated from the current analysis.
Enhance surveillance and reporting systems for emerging infectious diseases.
Support community outreach programs to improve vaccine uptake and education.
Accelerate development of vaccines for emerging pathogens like H5N1 and MERS.
Strengthen global cooperation for pandemic preparedness and response strategies.
Sources Monitored
Visible feeds used in this category's nightly run.
Selected Articles
Supporting articles referenced in the latest score.
- COVID pandemic disrupted progress in routine child, teen vaccination rates, data suggest
- US COVID activity gains more steam
- KFF poll shows most Americans plan to skip fall COVID booster
- Saudi Arabia confirms 9 MERS cases, including hospital cluster
- WHO notes 4 new MERS cases, 2 fatal, in Saudi Arabia since September
- HHS awards $590 million to Moderna to develop mRNA vaccines against pandemic flu threats