Politicians are failing to prepare for next pandemic, warns head of European health agency

Politicians throughout Europe are gambling on the next pandemic not happening for the next five years and as result are failing to invest in preparedness, warns a doctor in charge of protecting 500 million people in Europe from infectious diseases.

Pamela Rendi-Wagner, director of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), told the European Health Forum Gastein on 25 September, “Every politician now in parliament hopes [the next pandemic] will not be within the next five years of his or her period—that’s why they aren’t investing too much in preparedness. This is the sad situation that’s …