Core Points - The U.S. government has canceled a contract with Moderna for the late-stage development of a human avian influenza vaccine, raising concerns among experts about the potential loss of a critical tool for responding to avian flu outbreaks [1][3] - Moderna received $590 million in funding from the Biden administration in January to advance avian flu vaccine research and expand clinical studies to include five additional flu subtypes [3] - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services previously allocated $176 million to Moderna for the late-stage development and testing of an mRNA-based vaccine targeting the H5N1 avian flu strain, totaling over $700 million in funding [3] - A spokesperson from the Department of Health and Human Services stated that the project did not meet the scientific standards and safety expectations required for continued federal investment [3] - Experts, including a senior scholar from Johns Hopkins University, criticized the cancellation, suggesting it undermines the government's ability to effectively combat potential avian flu outbreaks [3] - The World Organization for Animal Health reported a significant increase in avian flu cases among mammals in 2024 compared to 2023, indicating a heightened risk of the virus spreading to humans [3] Industry Insights - The prevention of animal diseases is crucial for reducing antibiotic use and combating the development of antimicrobial resistance [4] - Without urgent action, antimicrobial resistance could lead to significant livestock losses, threatening food security for 2 billion people and resulting in economic losses of up to $100 trillion by 2050 [4]

Core Viewpoint - The research indicates that current climate change pathways and the failure to achieve sustainable development strategies may lead to an increased global burden of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) by 2050, with a projected rise of up to 2.4% in AMR rates globally [1][3]. Group 1: Research Findings - In 2021, antimicrobial resistance caused approximately 1.14 million deaths globally, with the most severe impact on middle- and low-income countries. This number is expected to rise to nearly 2 million deaths by 2050 [3]. - The study analyzed 45,502 records of 32 million isolates from six key resistant bacterial pathogens collected from 1999 to 2022 across 101 countries, using predictive models to assess the impact of socioeconomic and climate factors on AMR trends [3][5]. - Under the worst-case climate change scenario, with a global temperature increase of 4-5°C by the end of the century, AMR could increase by 2.4% by 2050 compared to a low-emission scenario. The increase is projected to be 0.9% in high-income countries, 4.1% in middle- and low-income countries, and 3.3% in low-income countries [3][5]. Group 2: Sustainable Development Actions - Sustainable development actions, such as reducing out-of-pocket healthcare expenses, expanding vaccination coverage, increasing health investments, and ensuring universal access to water, sanitation, and hygiene services, could reduce future AMR prevalence by 5.1% compared to baseline levels. This effect is significantly greater than the 2.1% reduction expected from merely decreasing antibiotic use [5]. - The research highlights limitations in establishing causal relationships due to the ecological modeling methods used and the quality of AMR monitoring data. Additionally, certain factors contributing to AMR, such as education, antibiotic use in food production, and animal husbandry practices, were not fully considered and require further investigation [5].