Upon President Trump’s signing of an executive order to modernize influenza vaccine manufacturing, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar issued the following statement:

“President Trump’s executive order to modernize influenza vaccine manufacturing reflects his commitment both to America’s national security and to America’s health. Faster methods of producing influenza vaccines will help keep Americans safer both from seasonal influenza, which kills tens of thousands of Americans each year, and from the potential of pandemic influenza, which is the single greatest biodefense threat our country faces. Under this Executive Order, HHS will lead on coordinating and advancing work to modernize influenza vaccine production, as part of the important work we do to protect Americans from all infectious threats, whether naturally occurring, accidental, or manmade.”