In brief
Experts fear that the U.S. exit from the World Health Organization may jeopardize vital smallpox safeguards and research efforts.
President Trump’s recent order for the United States to withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO) has stirred alarm among health experts regarding the future of smallpox virus management. This decision could undermine longstanding safety protocols and collaborative efforts designed to prevent the smallpox virus, which historically claimed around half a billion lives, from resurfacing, they warn. The WHO has overseen the management of smallpox remnants that are kept in secure repositories in the U.S. and Russia for research purposes.Health professionals assert that the cessation of WHO oversight might compromise the measures ensuring the containment and study of smallpox, increasing the risk of accidental releases. There are also apprehensions about the possibility of the U.S. potentially weaponizing the virus in secrecy. Former CDC director Thomas R. Frieden described the facilities housing the virus as resembling "something out of a movie," underlining the need for transparency and inspections to mitigate fears surrounding the virus.On February 12, 2025, Dartmouth medical professor Daniel R. Lucey raised the alarm in a blog post, indicating that Trump's decision could jeopardize critical aspects of smallpox virus storage, experimentation, and inspections. The WHO previously declared smallpox eradicated in human populations approximately fifty years ago, marking a significant achievement in global health collaboration. Despite this eradication, two highly secure labs still store the virus for ongoing research, classified under the most stringent safety level, Biosafety Level 4, to prevent leaks and ensure safety.
