US Grade for Bio-Terror Readiness: F

The US is woefully unprepared for a biological attack—getting an “F” from a bipartisan commission on weapons of mass destruction. “While the government has made progress on preventing such attacks, it is simply not paying consistent and urgent attention to the means of responding quickly and effectively so that they no longer constitute a threat of mass destruction,” the report said. “We no longer have the luxury of a slow learning curve.”

The commission took particular note of the government’s slowness in distributing H1N1 vaccines. “H1N1 came with months of warning,” the report said. “But even with time to prepare, the epidemic peaked before most Americans had access to vaccine. A bio attack will come with no such warning.” (More biological weapons stories.)