Increase funding and support for vaccination campaigns to address measles and other preventable diseases.
Pandemics
Pandemics Risk
Current assessment
Today's pandemic risk is high due to escalating measles outbreaks, avian flu cases, and significant vaccine hesitancy.
September 5, 2026
Trend
Daily score history for Pandemics.
Risk Drivers
What is pushing the current reading.
The current news highlights several concerning trends: measles outbreaks in the US are reaching levels not seen in decades, indicating gaps in vaccination coverage and public health response. Concurrently, avian flu cases are spreading in both human and animal populations, posing a risk of zoonotic transmission. Vaccine hesitancy remains a critical issue, with demographic divides and misinformation contributing to lower vaccination rates, which could exacerbate the spread of preventable diseases. These factors, combined with the ongoing challenges in managing COVID-19 and other infectious diseases, underscore a high risk of widespread infectious disease outbreaks.
Risk Reduction Actions
Priority actions generated from the current analysis.
Enhance surveillance and rapid response capabilities for emerging infectious diseases like avian flu.
Educate communities on the importance of vaccines and counter misinformation effectively.
Support outreach programs targeting vaccine-hesitant populations to improve coverage rates.
Accelerate research on new vaccine technologies and treatments for emerging pathogens.
Sources Monitored
Visible feeds used in this category's nightly run.
Selected Articles
Supporting articles referenced in the latest score.
- Vaccine recommendations and access, plus measles deaths: 3 questions, zero consensus: The State of US Vaccine Policy Publisher: CIDRAP COVID‑19 Published September 3, 2026
- Cambodia confirms human H5N1 avian flu case as H5N1 hits more Utah egg farms Publisher: CIDRAP Avian Influenza Published July 16, 2026
- Bangladesh measles outbreak nears 1,000 child deaths as hospital wards fill Publisher: South China Morning Post Published September 5, 2026
- Measles cases top 3,000 to reach highest level in three decades, CDC reports Publisher: NBC News Published September 4, 2026
- Why measles outbreak in the US has reached 35-year high Publisher: KMTV 3 News Now Published September 4, 2026