Governance

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News - Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School

Syra Madad Named to World Health Organization Technical Advisory Group

| Feb. 13, 2024

Belfer Center Fellow Syra Madad, Senior Director of the System-wide Special Pathogens Program at NYC Health + Hospitals and Belfer Center Fellow, has been named to the World Health Organization’s Technical Advisory Group on the Responsible Use of the Life Sciences and Dual-Use Research.

FILE - A health worker administers a dose of a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine during a vaccination clinic in Reading, Pa., Sept. 14, 2021.

AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File

Analysis & Opinions - Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School

Navigating Through This Season's COVID-19, Influenza and RSV Surge

| Jan. 10, 2024

As we navigate through another season marked by the co-circulation of multiple respiratory viruses, it's crucial to recognize the progress we've made and the resources at our disposal. Unfortunately, only 19% of eligible Americans have received the updated COVID-19 vaccine and less than 50% received this year’s flu vaccine. With elevated activity for COVID-19, flu, and RSV, it's not too late to benefit from vaccinations and available treatments. The Swiss cheese model of defense remains a reliable strategy for reducing infection risks, and the government's expanded Home Test to Treat Initiative offers a valuable resource for managing COVID-19 and flu. As we adapt to this new normal, it's imperative to utilize these tools and strategies to safeguard our health and that of our loved ones, especially the most vulnerable among us. The fight against these respiratory viruses is a collective effort, and by staying informed and proactive, we can navigate this season more effectively. 

Arctic Pandemics cover

Arctic Yearbook/Amber Webb

News - Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School

Journal Launch Highlights Lessons for Future Arctic Pandemic Preparedness

| Sep. 25, 2023

In September 2023, the Arctic Initiative hosted the official launch of “Arctic Pandemics: COVID-19 and Other Pandemic Experiences and Lessons Learned,” a special Arctic Yearbook issue that examines the health, social, cultural, and economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Arctic. 

A nurse administers a Moderna COVID-19 booster vaccine at an inoculation station next to Jackson State University in Jackson, Miss., Friday, Nov. 18, 2022.

AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis

Blog Post

What’s Going on with COVID? And What’s BA.2.86?

| Sep. 07, 2023

The virus responsible for COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) undergoes constant genetic changes as it mutates over time. This is normal and what most viruses do. Because of this, we do anticipate the continual emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants. While some of these variants might appear and then fade away - think of the Delta variant which became the dominate variant in the late summer and fall of 2021 in the U.S. - others could increase, potentially taking the place of older variants.

Men haul sections of whale skin and blubber as a bowhead whale is butchered

AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File

Policy Brief - Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School

The Arctic Warning: Climate-Related Challenges for Community Health

| Aug. 30, 2023

As the biosphere is altered by anthropogenic climate change, the fundamental sources of human health are at risk. Climate change is a healthcare emergency. While this is true globally, the Arctic is warming four times faster than the global average which
puts Arctic populations who are already at special risk, at further risk. This policy brief provides an overview of the climate-related changes that are impacting Arctic citizens’ health now.

pharmacist administers COVID-19 vaccine to patient

AP Photo/Rick Bowmer

Journal Article - Arctic Yearbook

The State of Research Focused on COVID-19 in the Arctic: A Meta-Analysis

| July 20, 2023

The Arctic region faces unique risks and challenges as a result of both the COVID-19 pandemic and the actions taken to respond to it. Research offers an important opportunity to understand the region’s unique conditions and characteristics for pandemic management. This article contributes to this knowledge building effort by surveying the literature that explicitly focuses on COVID-19 in the Arctic between 2020 and 2022. The authors analyze this emerging body of work with a focus on identifying overarching trends and map the themes and topics considered in this literature with a focus on highlighting topics that are prominent and those that are conspicuously underrepresented.