Biden Admin to Exclude Avian Influenza, COVID-19 From Risky Research Rules

Avian influenza strain H5N1 and the Ebola virus are not considered to be potential pandemic pathogens by the National Science and Technology Council.

President Joe Biden speaks in Washington on April 10, 2024. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

President Joe Biden’s administration has proposed updated rules governing risky research, excluding avian influenza and current forms of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

The new “United States Government Policy for Oversight of Dual Use Research of Concern and Pathogens with Enhanced Pandemic Potential” defines which research would require a formal risk-benefit assessment by U.S. officials before being conducted.