Study: U.S. Unprepared For Public Disaster

(CBS/AP)  A new study indicates that five years after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, public health emergency preparedness is still not at an acceptable level in most states.

Researchers for Trust for America's Health looked at 10 factors, including having enough labs to test for biological threats and having enough hospital beds to handle a moderately severe flu pandemic.

No state received a perfect score. However, executive director Jeffrey Levi said Kansas and Oklahoma received the highest scores, with nine out of the 10 indicators met. California, Iowa, Maryland and New Jersey are at the bottom, with scores of four out of 10.

"The nation is nowhere near as prepared as we should be for bioterrorism, bird flu and other health disasters," Levi said. "We continue to make progress each year, but it is limited. As a whole, Americans face unnecessary and unacceptable levels of risk."

Levi said many states are vulnerable when it comes to pandemics. He said if one struck today, half the states wouldn't be able to address the surge in demand for health care in the first two weeks of the outbreak. "That's distressing," he said.

Some of the study's key findings include:

Only 15 states are rated at the highest preparedness level to provide emergency vaccines, antidotes and medical supplies from the Strategic National Stockpile.

Twenty-five states would run out of hospital beds within two weeks of a moderate pandemic flu outbreak.

Forty states face a shortage of nurses.

Eleven states and the District of Columbia lack sufficient capabilities to test for biological threats.

Six states cut their public health budgets from fiscal year 2005 to 2006; the median rate for state public health spending is $31 per person per year.

The report recommends the federal government establish "optimally achievable standards" to ensure that each state is made accountable for its public health resources. Also, the report suggests the government grant temporary health benefits for people with little or no insurance during states of emergency.

The report said Missouri has enough scientists and labs to deal with a chemical terrorism threat and test for anthrax or plague. It also has year-round, lab-based influenza surveillance, has two weeks' hospital bed surge capacity in a moderate pandemic and is one of only 14 states fully prepared to distribute vaccines or antidotes in a health disaster.

Missouri maintained its seasonal flu vaccination rate for adults over age 65, the report found. The state is compatible with the national surveillance system operated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and it increased or maintained funding for public health services over the past year.

But Missouri is one of 40 states that have a nursing shortage. And the state is below the national median for the number of adults over 65 who have ever received pneumonia vaccine, the report found.

The report found that Kansas has enough scientists and labs to deal with a chemical terrorism threat and test for anthrax or plague. It also has year-round, lab-based influenza surveillance, has two weeks' hospital bed surge capacity in a moderate pandemic and is one of only 10 states that does not have a nursing shortage, the report found.

Kansas maintained its seasonal flu vaccination rate for adults over age 65 and is at or above the national median for the number of adults over 65 who have ever received pneumonia vaccine. The state is compatible with the national surveillance system operated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and it increased or maintained funding for public health services over the past year.

But the state is not fully prepared to distribute vaccines or antidotes in a health disaster, the report found. Only 14 states met that indicator.

[randalds]

I wonder if we would have been better off spending the trillion dollars we will spend in Iraq on some real homeland security at home.

Posted by frankly6 at 08:10 AM : Dec 13, 2006

Of course that makes much more sense frankly6, which is why airhead Bush won't do it. If you point out to him and his fellow republicans how much sense that makes they'll just start saying you want the terrorists to win and that you hate the troops and whatever other line the White House wants them to bleat out.

[pendragon679]

This should come as no surprise to anyone who's been awake for the past few years.

[olgreyghost]

Party like it's 1999?!? But that brings back Y2K!!! AUUUUGHHHH!!!

[antoniof123]

Yes, and there are still those who think that the Republicans will keep us safe. Someone please tell me why those people who fear for their lives so much live in places that no one would attack. I mean if they lived in a big city like New York or LA or some place like that it would be different. Last I checked their were people still living there. It is just smoke and mirrors. Thank you to the Republicans you spent all our money killed people in the name of WMD and I still do not see any results. Wait we did lose all of our freedoms thank you King George and Vice King ***.

[frankly6]

I wonder if we would have been better off spending the trillion dollars we will spend in Iraq on some real homeland security at home.

[olgreyghost]

Iwilli201:

I do believe in the Constitutional restraints on the government. They are what I refer to as the "permission" that government can give us to prepare ourselves. I have no problem with a terrorist having a trial with a jury of his peers as I also have no problem, when a terrorist attempts to cause harm to my family, in saving the taxpayers the expense of a trial ;) - if the government will let me...

[randalds]

Giving up constitutional rights is the same thing as surrendering, this time to our own government rather then the terrorists. I'd rather keep my rights and take my chances with the terrorists then give them to Cowboy Bush and his merry band of fascists want-to-bes.

[lwilli201]

OlGreyGhost I could not agree with you more. There is not enough money to protect us from everything. People need to learn to be self sufficient. Most of the people in the US dont have a clue to the extent of damage inflicted by Catrina. The government is handcuffed when it comes to protecting us from terrorist because our constitution will not allow what it takes to protect us. They have all the rights we have including trial by jury. Have you heard the old saying "If it looks like a duck, sounds like a duck, then it must me a duck". These days it is called profileing which is taboo.

[randalds]

Yes we should all do our part to be prepared ourselves, but we can't allow that to let the government off the hook. They do have a responsibility to do their best to protect us (within the law) and they simply are not. No one faults them by saying they have to be able to help in every emergency perfectly, but they are barely making a window-dressing effort and it's insulting and dangerous for them to claim to be the ones who can help.

[olgreyghost]

The government cannot be held liable in a court of law for not being able to protect the people from a disaster. The government cannot physically be everywhere, prepared for everything (that's why they're called disasters). So folks it's up to us to fend for ourselves as best we can if the government will give us its permission to do so. Learn first aid, stock up on essentials of medicine and food, and learn how to purify water. Learn how to make fire and build a shelter. And do it fast...