This meeting of the Blue Ribbon Study Panel on Biodefense addressed State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Ability to Respond to Large-Scale Biological Events: Challenges and Solutions.
The Nation continues to confront infectious disease events and the threat of biological terrorism. This meeting of the Study Panel, chaired by former Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala and former Representative James Greenwood, provided the Study Panel with a better understanding of the ability of state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) governments to:
- Respond to large-scale biological events,
- Identify and utilize SLTT assets and resources for immediate response (prior to a declaration of a SLTT biological emergency or disaster),
- Operate before federal assistance arrives and after federal resources are exhausted, and
- Shift to population management when a biological event overcomes pre-hospital and hospital response protocols.
SLTT government officials, federal and academic representatives, and subject matter experts discussed their perspectives, experiences, challenges, and recommended solutions with regard to SLTT response to large-scale biological events