Increase funding and support for public health campaigns to counter misinformation and promote vaccination.
Pandemics
Viewed record
High Risk
History
338 daily observations
Method
Curated sources and AI scoring
Pandemics Risk
4.2 / 5
High Risk
+0.5 from previous reading
Assessment for this date
Today's pandemic risk is high due to rising flu, RSV, and measles cases, coupled with increasing vaccine hesitancy and misinformation.
Record date
December 19, 2025
Trend
Viewing the record for December 19, 2025 within the full trend.
Risk Drivers
What is pushing the current reading.
Current reports indicate a significant rise in flu and RSV activity in the US and Europe, with a major surge in the UK, alongside a measles outbreak in the US exceeding 1,800 cases. Vaccine uptake for respiratory diseases is declining, and misinformation is exacerbating public distrust in health agencies. These factors, combined with ongoing challenges in vaccine regulation and deployment, contribute to a heightened risk of widespread infectious disease outbreaks. The presence of avian flu in multiple US states and the potential for it to jump to humans further elevates the threat level.
Risk Reduction Actions
Priority actions generated from the current analysis.
Enhance surveillance and reporting systems for early detection and response to rising infectious disease cases.
Collaborate with communities to build trust and improve vaccine uptake, particularly in underserved areas.
Accelerate development and trials of universal vaccines to address multiple strains of flu and other respiratory viruses.
Strengthen global cooperation and resource sharing to manage cross-border outbreaks and prevent pandemic spread.
Sources Monitored
Visible feeds used in this category's nightly run.
Selected Articles
Supporting articles referenced in the latest score.
- Flu, RSV activity rising in US and Europe, with major UK surge in flu cases
- Fewer people are being vaccinated against respiratory diseases
- US measles outbreak tops 1,800 cases as respiratory illness surveillance returns
- US COVID, flu, and RSV levels low but rising in many regions
- With an absent CDC and mismatched 'subclade K' flu strain, experts face upcoming season with uncertainty
- First ever human case of H5N5 avian flu confirmed in Washington state
- New coronavirus subspecies with SARS-CoV-2–like mutation discovered in Brazilian bat
- CIDRAP and CEPI launch resources to track development of coronavirus vaccines