Global Scans · Pandemic · Weekly Summary

A global catastrophic risk is a hypothetical future event that has the potential to damage human well-being on a global scale. Some events could cripple or destroy modern civilization. Any event that could cause human extinction is known as an existential risk.

• Policymakers, under political pressure, may support cultivation to ensure national food security, particularly after COVID-19 highlighted the vulnerabilities of the global meat trade. SAGE Journals
• Starting in Autumn 2027, the eligibility age for free Covid booster vaccinations in the UK will rise from 75 years and older to 80 years and older. Seeing The Forest for the Trees
• The current dengue outbreak underscores the continuing public health threat posed by dengue in Sri Lanka. World Health Organization: WHO
• A drug-resistant superbug dubbed an urgent threat by health officials has spread across nearly two dozen US states - and its highly generic symptoms make it difficult to spot. New York Post
• Covid, Ukraine and now Iran have brought unprecedented disruptions to the energy status quo. Baillie Gifford
• The Democratic Republic of the Congo will receive 70,000 doses of the Ervebo Ebola vaccine as health authorities respond to an ongoing outbreak of Bundibugyo virus disease. Open Access Government
• The Food and Drug Administration recently approved an updated COVID vaccine for people 65 and over, as well as for younger people who have a condition that increases their risk of severe illness from COVID. NewYork-Presbyterian
• Early outbreak detection could rely on real-time sequencing information through the CDC's Advanced Molecular Detection Program. Belfer Center
• The COVID-19 pandemic profoundly impacted the energy sector of the United Arab Emirates, leading to disruptions and decreased demand for transportation fuels and industrial activities. Markets and Data
• The BCC's Quarterly Economic Survey for Q2 of 2026 shows that only 17% of firms plan to increase investment, a post-pandemic low. British Chambers of Commerce

Last updated: 02 November 2026