Countermeasures
The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) announced a new solicitation this week for the development of rapid and affordable at-home SARS-CoV-2 diagnostics, as well as supportive technologies to further more widespread, decentralized testing for COVID-19.
In reaching... Read More »
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) officials announced that two organizations have secured awards totaling $2 million
to develop cybersecurity workforce training programs.
NPower and CyberWarrior will focus on the unemployed and underemployed, urban and rural underserved... Read More »
On Wednesday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration took action to expand the use of a booster dose for COVID-19 vaccines in eligible populations.
“Today’s actions demonstrate our commitment to public health in proactively fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Acting FDA... Read More »
The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday voted 397-22 to approve a bipartisan bill that aims to reform how the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) is administered and managed. The legislation now heads to the U.S. Senate for consideration.
The Strengthening America’s Strategic National... Read More »
In a new position paper, the World Health Organization (WHO) highlighted the setbacks and failures faced worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic and highlighted seven means for nations to begin building a more resilient and secure health system.
These recommendations include:
Utilizing... Read More »
U.S. Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA) introduced Tuesday the Military Support for Fighting Wildfires Act, which seeks to bolster wildfire combating efforts.
Garamendi joined U.S. Reps. Sara Jacobs (D-CA) and Salud Carbajal (D-CA) in delivering the bill for consideration. The legislation seeks to... Read More »
During a recent Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, President Joe Biden’s nominee for Deputy Undersecretary for Policy at the Department of Defense, Sasha Baker, affirmed a U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker's (R-MS) naval fleet requirement advocacy.
A hearing exchange resulted in Baker expressing... Read More »
Results arrived this week for a Phase 3 trial of Valneva SE’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate, VLA2001, and they revealed neutralizing antibody activity greater than 95 percent, along with broad T-cell responses and significant tolerability.
It was reported that the inactivated, adjuvanted vaccine... Read More »
U.S. Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), the ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, grilled Tucson Police Chief Chris Magnus, President Joe Biden’s nominee for Commissioner of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), on the need for enhanced border security... Read More »
Recognizing the additional level of dangerous chemical hazards brought on by storm-damaged infrastructure could cause, the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) is providing a 24/7 hotline to address a variety of threats and how they could... Read More »
Lockheed Martin has secured a $9,672,781 Army Project Agreement to continue developing the Terrestrial Layer System (TLS) program for the branch's tactical vehicles.
The action via the Army's Consortium Management Group (CMG)/Consortium for Command, Control, and Communications in Cyberspace (C5)... Read More »
Fed up with the dangers of an unprepared and underfunded public health system, U.S. Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) voiced support this week for a fiscal year 2022 bill that would increase Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) funding by $1.85 billion.
The bill, released by the Labor, Health... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Rob Portman (R-OH) and Gary Peters (D-MI), the ranking member and chair of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, introduced legislation Monday designed to enhance the country’s ability to combat the rise of human trafficking.
The Countering Human Trafficking Act... Read More »
U.S. Department of Justice officials said the chief executive officer (CEO) of Multinational Logistics Services (MLS) is facing a criminal charge for alleged participation in a bribery scheme.
Frank S. Rafaraci is an American citizen living abroad. Authorities cited a criminal complaint alleging... Read More »
After a recent request from U.S. Rep. Brian Higgins (D-NY), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) updated guidance on recognizing people as fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
The White House indicated it will reopen land ports of entry on Nov. 8, 2021, after the sites have... Read More »
Adults at least 18 years old could soon gain access to a Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine booster shot if the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) agrees with the unanimous recommendation of its Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC).
Last week, in a 19-0 vote,... Read More »
A joint cybersecurity advisory (CSA) from the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the National Security Agency (NSA) has detailed an ongoing cyber threat to the U.S. Water and Wastewater... Read More »
The World Health Organization (WHO) reported last week that tuberculosis (TB) deaths rose for the first time in more than a decade as COVID-19 continues to impact the world.
According to WHO, approximately 1.5 million people died as a result of TB in 2020. The organization noted that fewer... Read More »
A San Jose, California-based firm has secured a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) award to develop a Coast Guard language translation platform.
DHS S&T officials said the award of $199,592 to myLanguage would address the adaptation and customization... Read More »
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx) initiative split $77.7 million among 12 new contract awards last week for potential, rapid SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic tests.
Part of the RADx Tech program, which gathered a panel of technical, regulatory and business... Read More »
On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) announced it would be joining several agencies in New York City to conduct above-ground and below-ground air sampling studies.
The studies will help urban areas prepare for and recover from... Read More »
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials said the agency will conduct a Nov. 30 meeting via its Antimicrobial Drugs Advisory Committee (AMDAC) to discuss a COVID-19 oral treatment.
The FDA indicated the effort would focus on Merck and Ridgeback’s request for an emergency use authorization... Read More »
Following two successful Phase 3 trials of more than 6,000 patients, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last week accepted the Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. anti-COVID-19 cocktail known as REGEN-COV for priority review.
REGEN-COV is a mix of the antibodies casirivimab and... Read More »
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers have detected a record number of firearms at airport security checkpoints this year.
As of Oct. 3 officers had stopped 4,495 airline passengers from carrying firearms aboard flights, exceeding the full calendar year 2019 previous record of... Read More »
The all-star team of government officials, scientists and industry executives who tackled COVID-19 made great strides in the development of an effective vaccine against the novel virus, but that is no guarantee that the United States will be ready for the next pandemic that rears its head, speakers... Read More »
The first participant in a new trial phase recently received a dose of a vaccine candidate against chikungunya disease that is being developed by Emergent BioSolutions Inc.
“Emergent has achieved a major milestone as we begin our phase 3 study for our single-dose chikungunya vaccine... Read More »
Shortly after the terrorist events of Sept. 11, 2001, letters containing deadly anthrax spores arrived at locations across the country, killing five Americans and sickening 17 others. Twenty years after these incidents, considered the worst biological attacks in U.S. history, the federal government... Read More »
The threat detection and security screening technology firm Smiths Detection recently confirmed its BioFlash air sampler detects a series of SARS-CoV-2 variants.
Officials said the detected variants include the Alpha variant, Beta variant, Gamma variant, the Kappa variant and the Delta and Delta... Read More »
San Francisco based Voxel Radar has secured a $387,415 award from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to develop a passenger self-screening hardware subsystem for airport checkpoints.
DHS Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) Screening at Speed Program officials indicated the allotment... Read More »
The World Health Organization (WHO) has whittled down a list of more than 700 applicants to 26 proposed members to act as expert advisors on its new Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens (SAGO).
These experts will advise WHO as it develops a global framework for defining... Read More »
In a letter to high-ranking members of the Biden Administration’s COVID-19 response efforts, three Democratic senators and representatives this week urged a cautious review of the United States Health and Human Services (HHS) contract with Moderna, Inc. and called for efforts to expand global... Read More »
U.S. Reps. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and David Schweikert (R-AZ) co-chairs of the Congressional Valley Fever Task Force joined Reps. Karen Bass (D-CA) and Tom O’Halleran (R-AZ) to introduce a bipartisan bill combating Valley Fever Wednesday.
Valley Fever is an infection caused by inhaling spores... Read More »
Through exercise of an option with Moderna, Inc., Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance will purchase another 176.5 million doses of the company’s COVID-19 vaccine in an effort to help low income countries over the course of the next year, through the COVAX Facility.
With this purchase, COVAX will have... Read More »
Two cybersecurity bills from U.S. Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI) and Rob Portman (R-OH) have been approved by the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee where Peters serves as chair and Portman serves as ranking member.
The two bills, the Cyber Incident Reporting Act and the... Read More »
According to the latest annual report from the global nonprofit partnership CARB-X, at the close of its fifth fiscal year it has provided as much as $361 million to 92 projects seeking solutions to antibiotic resistant bacteria, gathered new partners under its umbrella and continually grown its... Read More »
