After reading a WTTW Newsletter on Feb. 18, my concerns about bird flu was only amplified. The current bird flu outbreak has been incredibly worsened due to HHS/CDC being banned from releasing clinical updates and warnings. As a result, medical and animal medicine professionals are not aware of the latest information on the virus. Numerous large animal vets have been infected with bird flu because they were not aware of current interspecies infection potential.
We are losing an incredible number of birds to this disease, from geese to merganzer ducks to the dead bald eagle found in Busse Woods. The limited bird flu tests and the destruction of carcasses, leading to frequent undercounts of bird flu infestations, has created increased threat to avian apex predators like eagles and other raptors.
We are combating our next potential pandemic with one arm tied behind our backs with Trump/Musk/DOGE massive cutbacks in funds for medical research and medical professional communication and massive layoffs of CDC scientists, researchers and clinicians.
Just when a potential vaccine to protect against bird flu is on the horizon we have an HHS leadership that doubts the safety and efficacy of vaccines and a secretary of HHS who is a vaccine denier.
Frank Vozak
Oak Park