Ex-Officials Warn the US Isn’t Prepared for Germ Warfare

Worst-Case Scenarios Ex-Officials Warn the US Isn’t Prepared for Germ Warfare After a yearslong COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. should be prepared for future catastrophes of that scale. But ex-officials from the Department of Health and Human Services say the nation has not taken adequate measures against the very real threat of biological or chemical warfare, as Putin — no stranger to chemical weapons — advances on Ukraine. Though there’s no immediate danger, former HHS Assistant Secretary Robert Kadlec warned that preparedness is important no matter what the next crisis may be. The national stockpile of treatments, vaccines and equipment for emergency use has been consistently underfunded by Congress compared to recommended levels. (Sources: Axios, The Guardian)