Steady research needed for public health crises, US academies say

Current standard of reactive R&D not good enough, says committee convened by disease agency

The United States needs more evidence to guide its response to public health crises, according to an independent panel sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a federal public health agency.

The CDC should set up another independent group to write “methodologically rigorous and transparent evidence-based guidelines” that would be continuously updated to help policymakers respond to public health emergencies, according to the panel.