Pandemic preparednessThe Future of U.S. Pandemic Preparedness

By Michelle Grundahl

Published 18 June 2021

On May 26, 2021, the National Biodefense Science Board (NBSB) held a (virtual) public meeting that discussed actions that the United States needs to take to be better prepared for the challenges posed by public health emergencies such as pandemics, “Disease X,” and other biological threats.

On May 26, 2021, the National Biodefense Science Board (NBSB) held a (virtual) public meeting that discussed actions that the United States needs to take to be better prepared for the challenges posed by public health emergencies such as pandemics, “Disease X,” and other biological threats. NBSB is the federal committee that advises the office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). During the meeting, the NBSB presented their recommendations to ASPR from its new report on ‘filling critical gaps’ in health emergency preparedness, response, and recovery. In addition, NBSB was briefed on the CDC’s new initiative to improve its data collection and analytical capabilities to improve information sharing and situational awareness during a public health emergency.

The NBSB’s All-Hazards Science Response Working Group draft report, Filling Critical Gaps: Comprehensive Recommendations for Public Health Preparedness, Response, and Recovery from the National Biodefense Science Board, is the result of a September 2020 request from ASPR to NBSB to review the 2007 Homeland Security Presidential Directive 21 (HSPD-21). HSPD-21 is the national strategy for ‘Public Health and Medical Preparedness’ that was formulated during the George W. Bush Administration as part of its strategy to protect the health of Americans during disasters. ASPR asked NBSB to answer three questions:

1) What, if any, of the 2007 focus areas (biosurveillance, countermeasures stockpiling and distribution, mass casualty care, or community resilience) should remain as highest priorities for capacity development by HHS

2) How might those focus areas be modified, updated, or expanded to promote additional advances in public health and medical preparedness in the United States? 

3) What should be new HHS focus areas for public health and medical preparedness, if any?

The key finding of the NBSB report is that the United States should always be prepared to “implement an immediate, effective, and coordinated public health response that is guided by scientific knowledge and protected from undue political influence…insulated from political considerations, with the ability to independently develop, directly distribute, and frequently update public health messages with scientific principles in mind, guided by analysis of available data, with inputs from the nation’s leading experts.” To achieve that objective, NBSB made five recommendations to enhance the country’s disaster preparedness and response based on strengthening One Health biosurveillance and situation awareness, enhancement of medical countermeasures, reinforcing health workforce readiness, increasing health facility resilience, and improving communication with the public during health crisis.