Is the US prepared to deal with another pandemic or widespread health crisis?
Based on current assessments, the picture is decidedly mixed — the US has significant infrastructure and lessons learned from COVID-19, but experts and government watchdogs are raising serious concerns about eroding capacity heading into any future crisis.
Areas of Concern
Funding cuts are substantial. A major worry is disinvestment in core public health infrastructure. The President's proposed FY 2026 budget for the CDC amounts to a 53 percent reduction in funding as compared to FY 2024, reflecting proposed cuts to CDC and its sister agency, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Specifically, within the total proposed cut, CDC's Public Health Emergency Preparedness program faces a 52 percent funding reduction. Additionally, this year's termination of already-approved funds clawed back over $12 billion in COVID-19 era grants – funding that in addition to supporting the pandemic response was intended to strengthen public health infrastructure beyond the needs created by the pandemic, including infectious disease monitoring, laboratory capacity, emergency preparedness, and mental health services.
Federal coordination gaps persist. A February 2026 GAO report found ongoing structural issues, noting that a whole-of-nation approach is needed to effectively respond to nationally significant public health emergencies, including ensuring coordination between public health and health care systems.
Leadership vacancies. The White House Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy, created after COVID to coordinate federal pandemic strategy, has been hollowed out — in 2025, Gerald Parker resigned as head of the office, leaving the office with no employees.
Long-term budget shortfalls. Looking further ahead, HHS's own multi-year planning acknowledges a massive gap: if funding continues at the proposed FY 2026 levels over the projected five-year period, an estimated $33.5 billion funding gap from the total projected need is expected.
State-level disparities. The Trust for America's Health's 2026 "Ready or Not" report finds that readiness varies widely by state and depends on federal stability. National preparedness depends not only on state-level capacity, but also on strong and stable federal systems, sustained intergovernmental coordination, and long-term investment in public health infrastructure. The context is sobering: in 2025, the country faced the most severe flu season in nearly a decade, rising measles outbreaks, continued H5N1 avian influenza activity, and a growing number of extreme weather events—all while the federal systems built over decades to help states prepare for and respond to emergencies came under significant strain. The report also highlights uneven protections like paid sick leave, where access to paid sick leave varies widely across U.S. regions—from 98 percent of workers in Pacific states to 67 percent in East South Central states—and gaps are most concentrated among low-wage, part-time, and service-sector workers.
Global health retrenchment. US pullback from international outbreak-prevention efforts is also a factor, since pandemics often start abroad. In 2025, the administration dismantled USAID, the federal humanitarian agency that played a role in global outbreak prevention and response, after stating that large portions of USAID funding did not align with "core national interests."
Areas of Relative Strength
Not everything is negative. Scientific and technical capacity continues to advance:
The Trust Deficit
Experts emphasize that technical readiness alone isn't sufficient. As discussed at a 2026 Global Virus Network meeting: the COVID-19 pandemic made clear that public health guidance is only effective if people trust it — mistrust, misinformation and confusion around evolving recommendations slowed response efforts, and experts emphasized that rebuilding trust must happen before the next crisis, not during it.
Bottom Line
The honest answer is: not as prepared as public health experts believe is necessary. While the US retains strong scientific/biomedical capabilities and a legal/institutional framework built since 2005, significant budget cuts, leadership vacancies, reduced global engagement, and uneven state-level readiness suggest real vulnerabilities. The consensus among preparedness experts is that current trends—particularly funding cuts to CDC and dismantling of coordinating offices—are moving the US in the wrong direction just as new risks (H5N1, other emerging pathogens) are increasing, with modeling suggesting over the next 25 years there is a 50% probability of a pandemic occurring, with a mortality level similar to or worse than COVID-19.
Citations (15)
- New Analysis: CDC's Budget Would be Reduced by 53 Percent if the Administration's Proposed FY 2026 Budget is Adopted; Over Sixty CDC Programs Would be Eliminated - TFAH
Source excerpt: “The report, which includes original analysis by TFAH, tallies the impacts of budget and staff reductions and proposed agency reorganizations to date a...”
statistic, article, points to no. Claim: The proposed FY 2026 budget would cut CDC funding by 53 percent compared to FY 2024.
- New Analysis: CDC's Budget Would be Reduced by 53 Percent if the Administration's Proposed FY 2026 Budget is Adopted; Over Sixty CDC Programs Would be Eliminated - TFAH
Source excerpt: “In addition, within the total proposed cut, CDC’s Public Health Emergency Preparedness program faces a 52 percent funding reduction. ”
statistic, article, points to no. Claim: CDC's Public Health Emergency Preparedness program faces a 52 percent funding reduction within the proposed cut.
- New Analysis: CDC's Budget Would be Reduced by 53 Percent if the Administration's Proposed FY 2026 Budget is Adopted; Over Sixty CDC Programs Would be Eliminated - TFAH
Source excerpt: “This year’s termination of already-approved funds clawed back over $12 billion in COVID-19 era grants – funding that in addition to supporting the pan...”
evidence, article, points to no. Claim: Termination of approved funds clawed back over $12 billion in COVID-era grants meant to strengthen public health infrastructure.
- GAO-26-107507, PUBLIC HEALTH PREPAREDNESS: Improved Coordination Needed for HHS’s Emergency Preparedness Programs
Source excerpt: “We have reported that a whole-of-nation approach is needed to effectively respond to nationally significant public health emergencies, including ensur...”
evidence, official document, points to no. Claim: GAO says a whole-of-nation approach with public health and health care coordination is needed, indicating ongoing coordination gaps.
- White House Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy
Source excerpt: “[[6]](./White_House_Office_of_Pandemic_Preparedness_and_Response_Policy#cite_note-6) In 2025, Gerald Parker resigned as head of the office, leaving th...”
evidence, reference entry, points to no. Claim: Gerald Parker resigned in 2025 as head of the pandemic preparedness office, leaving it with no employees.
- U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
Source excerpt: “If funding continues at the proposed FY 2026 levels over the projected five- year period, an estimated $33.5 billion funding gap from the total projec...”
statistic, official document, points to no. Claim: Continued funding at proposed FY 2026 levels would produce an estimated $33.5 billion five-year funding gap.
- Ready or Not 2026: Protecting the Public’s Health from Diseases, Disasters, and Bioterrorism - TFAH
Source excerpt: “· Overall, the report finds that national preparedness depends not only on state-level capacity, but also on strong and stable federal systems, sustai...”
evidence, official document, points to no. Claim: National preparedness depends on strong, stable federal systems as well as state capacity; readiness varies by state.
- Ready or Not 2026: Protecting the Public’s Health from Diseases, Disasters, and Bioterrorism - TFAH
Source excerpt: “In 2025, the country faced the most severe flu season in nearly a decade, rising measles outbreaks, continued H5N1 avian influenza activity, and a gro...”
evidence, official document, points to no. Claim: In 2025 the US faced severe flu, measles outbreaks, H5N1 and extreme weather while federal preparedness systems were strained.
- Ready or Not 2026: Protecting the Public’s Health from Diseases, Disasters, and Bioterrorism - TFAH
Source excerpt: “The report also places states and the District of Columbia into three performance tiers: 20 states in the high-performance tier, 17 states and the Dis...”
statistic, official document, points to no. Claim: Report highlights uneven state readiness and paid sick leave access ranging from 98 percent to 67 percent by region.
- How Are We Preparing For the Next Pandemic? | FRONTLINE | PBS | Official Site | Documentary Series
Source excerpt: “· In 2025, the administration dismantled USAID, the federal humanitarian agency that played a role in global outbreak prevention and response, after s...”
evidence, article, points to no. Claim: The administration dismantled USAID, which played a role in global outbreak prevention and response.
- U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
Source excerpt: “The forecasted budget needs are primarily driven by costs associated with maintaining ... formulations of BPL-1357 are poised to be tested in Phase 2...”
evidence, official document, points to yes. Claim: Candidate vaccine formulations are poised for Phase 2 trials in early 2026, showing continued vaccine R&D.
- National Pandemic Strategy | Pandemic Flu | CDC
Source excerpt: “In 2005 and 2006, the White House Homeland Security Council outlined the National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza and National Strategy for Pandemic I...”
evidence, official document, points to yes. Claim: National pandemic strategy plans since 2005/2006 have guided US preparedness activities.
- The Future of PAHPA and National Public Health Preparedness | ASTHO
Source excerpt: “Among the policies that impact public health’s readiness and response capacity at the national, state, and local levels, the Pandemic and All-Hazards ...”
evidence, article, points to yes. Claim: PAHPA, passed in 2006 and reauthorized, authorized key preparedness programs, though future funding is under discussion.
- International meeting at USF Health: When the next pandemic comes, will we be ready?
Source excerpt: “The COVID-19 pandemic made clear that public health guidance is only effective if people trust it. Mistrust, misinformation and confusion around evolv...”
attribution, article, points to no. Claim: Experts at a Global Virus Network meeting said mistrust and misinformation slowed COVID response and trust must be rebuilt before the next crisis.
- The Next Time: Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, and Response | UCSF Institute for Global Health Sciences
Source excerpt: “Date: May 19, 2026 · Time: 3 to 5:30 p.m. UCSF Mission Bay, San Francisco · Genentech Hall, Byers Auditorium Reception: Mission Hall Lobby · New model...”
further reading, other, neutral. Claim: Event page on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, listed in support of the pandemic risk modeling discussion.