Trump's WHO Exit Threatens Smallpox Safety and Research

President Trump’s decision to pull the United States out of the World Health Organization is believed by critics to undermine longstanding programs designed to ensure the safe handling and study of the smallpox virus—a pathogen that once claimed the lives of countless individuals. The change in policy comes amid concerns that the removal of WHO oversight may dismantle carefully managed processes established over decades to keep the virus contained within a secure American facility.

Health and security experts caution that ending the World Health Organization’s role in overseeing these programs could lead to weakened protocols designed to prevent any accidental leak of the virus. There is also a growing worry that such a move might interfere with ongoing research aimed at developing effective countermeasures against the deadly disease.

Prominent figures in public health, including Thomas R. Frieden, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, have expressed concern over the United States' secretive handling of its smallpox-related materials. Frieden compared the secrecy to having a submarine hidden within a building and noted that the current situation resembles something out of a movie, emphasizing the urgent need for public inspections to dispel fears and enhance transparency.

Additionally, medical experts like Dartmouth professor Daniel R. Lucey have warned on professional platforms that withdrawing from the WHO could put at risk the storage, monitoring, and scientific investigation of the smallpox virus. This decision not only threatens the integrity of health and safety protocols but also risks damaging international trust in U.S. handling of dangerous pathogens.