# 1381
More than two years after the Federal Government announced the need for all states to prepare for a pandemic, a great many states are far from ready.
In fact, seven states have failed to purchase any of the Federally subsidized antivirals, a key portion of this nation's pandemic preparedness plan.
The Trust For America's Health has issued it's fifth annual "Ready or Not? Protecting the Public's Health from Disease, Disasters, and Bioterrorism" report, and its findings are not encouraging.
Among the key findings:
- Thirteen states do not have adequate plans to distribute emergency vaccines, antidotes, and medical supplies from the Strategic National Stockpile.
- Twenty-one states do not have statutes that allow for adequate liability protection for healthcare volunteers during emergencies.
- Twelve states do not have a disease surveillance system compatible with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) National Electronic Disease Surveillance System.
- Seven states have not purchased any portion of their federally-subsidized or unsubsidized antivirals to use during a pandemic flu.
- Seven states and D.C. lack sufficient capabilities to test for biological threats.
The full report, which runs 124 pages, can be downloaded here.
The seven states that have declined to purchase tamiflu are: Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Massachusetts, Mississippi, North Dakota and Rhode Island.
Several more states have reportedly bought less than was requested by the Federal government. And thirteen states are ill equipped to distribute antivirals or other medicines from the Federal Stockpile.
Using guidelines setup by The Trust For America's Health, each state has been ranked as to its ability to deal with a pandemic, or other biological threat. The states deemed most ready for a pandemic are: Illinois, Kentucky, Nebraska, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Virginia.
The states with the lowest scores include: Arkansas, Iowa, Mississippi, Nevada, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
One can't help but wonder what officials in those states that failed to prepare will say if a pandemic erupts.
We gambled, and you lost?
