Responding to uncertainty in the COVID-19 pandemic: perspectives from Bavaria, Germany.

This article examines the co-production of scientific knowledge and governmental policy decisions during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on high-level pandemic decision-making in the German state of Bavaria. Drawing on qualitative interviews with policymakers and scientific experts conducted between December 2020 and February 2021, the study highlights challenges such as managing uncertainty amid rapidly evolving evidence, balancing competing social, economic, and legal priorities, and adapting decision-making processes to compressed timeframes. Findings reveal that while scientific researchers viewed uncertainty as inherent and manageable within their methods, policymakers struggled with iterative revisions and political implications of decisions under urgent conditions. The study underscores the importance of reflexive governance and strengthened cross-domain collaboration to better integrate uncertain scientific evidence into responsive public health policy during crises.