An unexplained death at a Russian plague research institute has prompted international scrutiny. The incident raises questions about laboratory safety, transparent reporting, and infection prevention preparedness while the cause remains unconfirmed.
|Articles|September 21, 2009
HHS Releases Two New Reports on Pandemic Preparedness
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The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has released a report, “State and Local Pandemic Influenza Preparedness: Medical Surge,” in which the agency hoped to determine the extent to which selected states and localities have prepared for a medical surge in response to an influenza pandemic, and conducted and documented exercises that test their medical surge preparedness for an influenza pandemic. To access this report,
The OIG also released another report, “Local Pandemic Influenza Preparedness: Vaccine and Antiviral Drug Distribution and Dispensing,” which sought to determine the extent to which 10 selected localities:
-- addressed in their planning documents the vaccine and antiviral drug distribution and dispensing components and preparedness items that we identified based on HHS pandemic influenza guidance
-- conducted exercises related to vaccine and antiviral drug distribution and dispensing and documented these exercises with After Action Reports and Improvement Plans
-- collaborated with community partners to develop and exercise their plans to distribute and dispense vaccines and antiviral drugs during an influenza pandemic.
To access this report,
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