WIT Press


Computational Tools For Evaluating Bioemergency Contingency Plans

Price

Free (open access)

Volume

110

Pages

11

Published

2009

Size

541 kb

Paper DOI

10.2495/DMAN090041

Copyright

WIT Press

Author(s)

T. Schneider, A. R. Mikler & M. O’Neill II

Abstract

Bioemergencies and bioterrorism play an increasingly important role in public health disaster preparedness. Posing a major challenge, the timely distribution of vaccine and medication to the population in case of an emergency requires contingency plans to be thoroughly analyzed. The enormous scale of possible response scenarios together with intrinsic confidential requirements make field studies both infeasible and unpractical. Computational tools offer the ability to evaluate different scenarios and alter contingency plans instantaneously. Here, we describe the methodology for the evaluation of response scenarios involving the dispension of vaccine or medication at fixed locations within a geographic region. Keywords: pandemics and biological threats, terrorism, emergency preparedness and planning, disaster resilient communities, public health preparedness.

Keywords

pandemics and biological threats, terrorism, emergency preparedness and planning, disaster resilient communities, public health preparedness