Protecting Children During Disasters: The Federal View

Because September 11, 2001, demonstrated that the United States is vulnerable to terrorist attack and Hurricane Katrina exhibited gaps in our disaster response system, there has been a large investment in ensuring that our population is better protected. The purpose of this article is to discuss the opportunities for improvement in preparedness for children that span all levels of government, private institutions, and individuals. These include (1) ensuring that stockpiled medical countermeasures, equipment, and supplies are appropriate for children (dosing, types of medicines, quantity of medicines in Strategic National Stockpile); (2) ensuring that state and local planning includes child and family needs; (3) increasing linkages between preparedness agencies and child experts; (4) improving pediatric education and training of responders; (5) ensuring emergency medical services systems and hospitals are prepared for children; (6) improving individual and family preparedness, especially families with children with special health care needs; and (7) opportunities for involvement for pediatric clinicians. This article will also discuss the H1N1 outbreak that started during the spring 2009.