Bioterrorism and Public Health Preparedness Health emergencies
pose some of the greatest threats to our nation, because they
can be difficult to prepare for, detect, and contain. Important
progress has been made to improve emergency preparedness since
September 11, 2001, the subsequent anthrax attack, and Hurricane
Katrina; three events that put severe stress on our public
health system. However, major problems still remain in our
readiness to respond to large-scale emergencies and natural
disasters. The country is still insufficiently prepared to
protect people from disease outbreaks, natural disasters, or
acts of bioterrorism, leaving Americans unnecessarily vulnerable
to these threats. TFAH publishes an annual report on public
health preparedness called, Ready or Not? Protecting the
Public's Health from Diseases, Disasters and Bioterrorism, which
examines America's ability to respond to health threats and help
identify areas of vulnerability. TFAH also offers a series of
recommendations to further strength