Responses

Short answer: The U.S. is better prepared than it was in early 2020 on several technical fronts, but overall readiness is uneven and, in some ways, more fragile today due to funding cuts, workforce losses, legal constraints, and weaker international coordination. Whether we handle the next pandemic well will depend on the pathogen and on how quickly we shore up the gaps below. ([files.gao.gov](htt

Short answer: The U.S. is better prepared than it was in 2020, but sizeable gaps remain. Detection and medical-countermeasure systems improved, yet workforce, coordination, legal authority, funding stability, and public trust are still weak points. Whether a future response goes smoothly will depend on how these gaps are addressed ahead of time. What’s stronger now - Clearer federal roles and res