Rapid Antigen Testing: The Bridge We Need While We Rebuild Vaccine Trust

We are living through a dangerous paradox.

On the one hand, we have never had more scientific tools to combat infectious disease. On the other, public trust in those tools—especially vaccines—is fractured. Add to that an exhausted public health workforce, crumbling confidence in regulatory bodies like the FDA, and the very real aftermath of agency layoffs and political crossfire, and we find ourselves facing an uncomfortable truth:

We are not prepared for the next wave of infectious disease—not scientifically, not socially, and not structurally.

But we are not helpless.

A growing body of public health research shows that simple, inexpensive at-home antigen tests—the same kind of lateral flow tests used during the COVID-19 pandemic—can be one of our most powerful, underutilized tools in disease control. Rapid antigen tests are not perfect. They are not silver bullets. But they are accessible, affordable, and critically: they work when used early and often.  And in this moment of instability, they may be the bridge we need while we rebuild trust, confidence, and infrastructure.

What the Data Tells Us

We know from both modeling and real-world data that when rapid antigen tests are widely distributed and freely available, they reduce transmission. They empower people to isolate sooner. They help workplaces, schools, and families make smart, localized decisions. They cost pennies on the dollar compared to hospitalization or outbreak response. This is not theory—it’s public health math.

Countries that distributed antigen tests at scale during COVID—like the UK, Germany, and parts of the U.S.—saw better containment when these tests were used as part of a layered strategy.  The problem? We stopped. Funding ran out. Messaging fractured. And worst of all, we failed to build the long-term public health infrastructure needed to sustain testing as a norm.

RT-PCR Didn’t Do the Job

There’s also a hard truth we need to face: RT-PCR testing, while technically precise and sensitive, didn’t meet the moment. It was too complex, too expensive, too centralized, and too slow. Worse, its sensitivity to viral fragments meant that people were testing positive long after they were no longer infectious—leading to unnecessary isolation, missed work, lost wages, and school absences. In a crisis that demanded rapid action, PCR gave us perfect answers too late to act on them.

Rapid antigen tests, by contrast, are tuned to detect high viral loads—the kind that correlate with infectiousness. That’s what matters when trying to stop spread and keep society functioning. When used regularly, they give a clearer signal of when a person should stay home—and when they can safely return.

The Trust Gap

We also face another challenge—one that can’t be fixed with test kits alone. Vaccine skepticism, misinformation, and political polarization have left millions of Americans unsure whom to trust. For some, vaccines feel too fast, too confusing, too disconnected from their lived experience.

We must fight for vaccine confidence, yes, it is bad science and medicine to do anything else. But we must also be realistic about where we are today. Trust is earned slowly. Outbreaks move fast.

This is where rapid antigen tests come in. They meet people where they are. They don’t require a prescription, a trip to the clinic, or a leap of faith in a federal agency. They put power back in the hands of the public—and that matters more now than ever.

While We Rebuild the System, Let’s Use the Tools We Have

The recent FDA layoffs and the legal challenges surrounding diagnostic oversight have only added to the chaos. With regulatory offices understaffed and public health departments stretched thin, we cannot afford to let perfect be the enemy of good. Rapid antigen tests may not catch every case. But they are good enough to break chains of transmission, prevent superspreader events, and give people a clear signal when it matters most.

As we work to rebuild vaccine confidence, restore faith in institutions, and strengthen the regulatory frameworks that keep our health system safe, we must also lean hard into accessible, trusted, and self-directed tools. Rapid antigen tests check every box.

The Call to Action

We need bold investment in manufacturing and distribution of rapid tests—not just for COVID, flu, RSV, or strep. We need to look beyond the norm, and into the other areas these tests could have success. We need clear messaging from health leaders that says: “Test early, test often, and act on what you find.” We need public-private partnerships that get tests into homes, schools, shelters, and small businesses.

And above all, we need to stop treating rapid tests like an emergency measure and start seeing them for what they are: a cornerstone of modern public health. Let’s stop waiting for perfection. Let’s meet this moment with the tools we already have—and build the trust we’ll need for the tools to come.