US Public Health Gaps Undermine 2026 World Cup Prep
As the 2026 World Cup expands across three countries, the U.S. faces gaps in public health coordination and funding: there is no federal centralized health command or national risk assessment, and public health funding for the event is not dedicated, leaving host cities to improvise with ad hoc systems. Reports of measles in wastewater, limited BioWatch readiness, and fragmented surveillance illustrate a patchwork approach that experts warn could hinder rapid detection and response to outbreaks during the tournament.