State defends Contrary to a news report that named Hawaii as one of two states least prepared for a bioterrorism attack, Hawaii is "in the middle ranks of states" in readiness, a state health official says.
Hawaii’s bioterrorism
preparedness
An Associated Press report
put Hawaii near the bottom,
but state officials disagreeBy Diana Leone
dleone@starbulletin.comYesterday, the Associated Press reported that federal Centers for Disease Control officials named Hawaii and Wisconsin as the states least prepared to accept and distribute medicines and vaccines in the event of bioterrorism.
The article said Hawaii and Wisconsin were making "little or no progress" while Florida had a program ready to go. Fifty-one states, territories or large cities were making significant progress toward readiness but are not there yet, the AP reported.
Bart Aronoff, manager of the state's bioterrorism-preparedness program, with the Department of Health, said: "It's got us kind of puzzled. One thing that is clear: It's based on information that's extremely outdated."
Last week, Steven Bice, who runs the CDC's National Pharmaceutical Stockpile program, visited Hawaii with a CDC team.
"They were very pleased with the progress we've made and said that we are in the middle ranks of states" in readiness, Aronoff said.
Bill Raub, deputy assistant secretary for public health emergency preparedness in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, told the Star-Bulletin yesterday that the only element of bioterrorism preparedness he is aware of using such a rating scheme is the National Pharmaceutical Stockpile.
"It (the rating) doesn't apply to anything else about the state's record," said Raub, who reviews state bioterrorism plans for his department. "We're encouraged by progress in Hawaii and every other state."
Any prior assessment of Hawaii's readiness could only have been based on plans it filed with the feds in April, at the very beginning of each state's bioterrorism programs, Raub said.
The first progress reports from the states were due yesterday.
After those are assessed, "we'll have a better picture" of how each state is doing in achieving its goals, Raub said.
"We're here to keep everyone moving forward, not to make artificial comparisons among the states," he said.
Aronoff said Hawaii's program has made "terrific progress" since May when it received $8.4 million in federal funds for bioterrorism preparedness.
The state has hired 29 of 35 positions on the bioterrorism preparedness staff, including respected pharmacist Todd Inafuku, and is poised to move into rented administrative offices on Bishop Street later this month, Aronoff said.
The program has a secure warehouse space for storage, breakdown and distribution of National Pharmaceutical Stockpile supplies, which are supposed to be deliverable within 12 hours of an incident, Aronoff said. And the City & County of Honolulu, state Health Department and pharmacies are coordinated to handle immediate needs.
The state's hospitals continue to work on contingency plans for providing as many as 500 beds for bioterrorism victims, and construction will begin soon on a high-security lab, Aronoff said.
The bioterrorism preparedness plan will continually be worked on and improved, but, Aronoff said, "We'll be able to meet foreseeable problems."
Dec. 1 is the deadline for states to submit a separate smallpox vaccination plan to the federal government.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
State of Hawaii
