Biden Boosts Bird Flu Funding by $306 Million for Hospital Preparedness Amid 61 Human Cases

Jan 3, 2025, 01:35 PM

The Biden administration has announced a significant increase in funding to combat a potential bird flu outbreak in humans, committing an additional $306 million. This funding will be distributed in the next two weeks, before the transition to the Trump administration. The funds are earmarked for enhancing hospital preparedness, early stage research on therapeutics, diagnostics, and vaccines. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed 61 human cases of bird flu since April 2024, primarily among dairy farm workers, though the risk to the general public remains low. The administration has already spent over $1.8 billion on bird flu efforts since last spring, with $1.5 billion allocated to animal-related initiatives by the federal Agriculture Department and $360 million on efforts to protect humans.