When P$andemics Put Profits Over People

I tried to get a press pass for the 2024 International Bird Flu (bioweapon) Summit, which wrapped in early October, but no one got back to me. And I couldn’t afford their $925 ‘early bird’ special.

Did they purposely use this pun?

The event unfolded at the Hilton Hotel in Fairfax, Virginia—a small suburban town of 24,000 located about 14 miles from Washington, D.C., and 12 miles from Langley, where the CIA is headquartered. Here is the Bird Flu Summit brochure if you want to check it out.

This is the second time that the pandemic vaccine industry has gathered. The First International Avian Influenza Summit, which focused on research, policy, and industry collaboration, was held on 16-17 October 2023 at the University of Arkansas, USA. Over the two days, 23 speakers presented, and 1,842 people registered as participants from 81 countries.

The summits aim “to foster collaboration and knowledge exchange to combat the spread of bird flu and its impact on human and animal health and the global economy.”

This year, the Summit’s primary commercial sponsor was Ginkgo Biosecurity—a major biosecurity outfit headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, that works closely with governments, institutions, and companies worldwide. The event was proclaimed a global event to bring together experts, innovators, and stakeholders to address the pressing concerns surrounding avian influenza.

“The summit aims to foster collaboration and knowledge exchange to combat the spread of bird flu.”

Here are some of the agenda packed with breakout sessions…