United States Food and Drug Administration

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is a federal agency responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the regulation and supervision of food safety, tobacco products, dietary supplements, prescription and over-the-counter pharmaceutical drugs (vaccines), biopharmaceuticals, blood transfusions, medical devices, cosmetics, and veterinary products. The FDA is currently newsworthy due to several recent events. Firstly, the FDA declined to review Moderna's application for a new flu vaccine, a decision that has raised concerns about the future of vaccine approvals. Secondly, the FDA is investigating a potential link between contaminated milk powder used in ByHeart infant formula and a botulism outbreak that has sickened babies. These events highlight the FDA's crucial role in ensuring the safety and efficacy of products that impact public health, and underscore the potential consequences of its regulatory decisions and oversight activities.