Pandemics Should Be Treated as National Security Threats, Experts Argue

In an opinion piece, David Blumenthal and James A. Morone argue that pandemics should be classified and addressed as national security threats rather than solely health-care challenges.

They note that the U.S. Congressional Research Service defines national security broadly, covering economic welfare and supply-chain stability. By that measure, Covid-19, which caused over 1.2 million American deaths between 2020 and 2026 and disrupted the economy and education, rivals the death toll of all U.S. wars combined.

Treating pandemics as security issues, they say, would motivate reforms that strengthen preparedness, protect critical infrastructure, and reduce future devastation.