The first year of Joe Biden’s presidency was defined by his exemplary efforts to curb the covid-19 pandemic. His final year might be remembered as the one in which bird flu emerged as the next major threat.

The highly pathogenic H5N1 avian flu virus went from primarily infecting wild birds last year to causing devastating outbreaks in poultry and cattle. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also documented 66 human infections, nearly all among farm workers. Most were mild cases, though two people, one in the United States and another in Canada, became severely ill with mutated strains that might spread more easily among humans. One of them, a man from Louisiana, died as a result, state health officials announced Monday.

Against this backdrop, the Biden administration announced on Thursday that it is allocating an additional $306 million to bird flu containment. This is welcome news, but the president can and should take additional steps to protect the country before leaving office.

1. Begin vaccinating high-risk farm workers. The Food and Drug Administration approved the first vaccine for H5N1 in 2007. Two more were approved in 2013 and 2020. Rick Bright, a former top federal health official who oversaw pandemic........

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