The Blue Ribbon Study Panel on Biodefense was formed in late 2014 to (1) assess ongoing U.S. biodefense efforts; (2) articulate actions to improve the Nation's ability to prevent, deter, prepare for, detect, respond to, attribute, recover from, and mitigate biological and large-scale chemical incidents; and (3) identify near and long-term actions by current and future Congresses and Presidential A
dministrations. This bi-partisan panel, co-chaired by former Senator Joe Lieberman and former Governor Tom Ridge and joined by former Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala, former Senator Tom Daschle, former Representative Jim Greenwood, and the Honorable Kenneth Wainstein, gathered perspectives on current biodefense efforts, including strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities, from current and former Members of Congress, former Administration officials, state and local representatives, thought leaders, and other experts. The conclusion was that while much good work has been achieved toward biodefense, systemic challenges in the enterprise designed to protect Americans from biological event exist. In October 2015, the Panel recommended 33 steps the government can take to shore up the national biodefense posture in its report, A National Blueprint for Biodefense: Leadership and Major Reform Needed to Optimize Efforts. The report assesses ongoing efforts; articulates actions to improve the nation’s biodefense capabilities to prevent, deter, prepare for, detect, respond to, attribute, recover from, and mitigate biological incidents; and identifies near and long-term actions by current and future Congresses and Presidential Administrations. The Panel's work did not stop there: the Panel continues to work towards the implementation of the recommendations while remaining up-to-date on the latest developments in the biodefense infrastructure. In Spring 2016 and again in December 2016, the Panel issued progress reports on the status of the recommendations and efforts towards implementation. These reports and more information about the Panel can be found at our website.
