For Immediate Release:
6/20/2023 4:01 pm
One of the many public health concepts thrust into the spotlight by the COVID-19 pandemic was the staging of Emergency Dispensing Site (EDS), which are spaces where medical countermeasures—vaccines in the case of COVID-19—are distributed to individuals who may have been exposed to a health threat ranging from disease outbreaks to acts of terrorism and natural disasters. Other countermeasures can include antibiotics, antiviral drugs, and personal protective equipment.
On Wednesday, Jan. 25, Central Massachusetts Regional Public Health Alliance (CMRPHA) municipalities participated in an annual EDS drill at the Worcester Public Library’s COVID-19 vaccine clinic, with an eye on future response capability. The drill brought together staff from the Worcester Division of Public Health (WDPH) Nursing and Emergency Preparedness teams, along with a Medical Reserve Corps Unit Leader to represent volunteers. Utilizing supplies purchased for an EDS, the team conducted a walkthrough of the clinic space and discussed options for expansion, volunteer management, and clinical functions.
Beyond building situational preparedness, regular EDS planning is required for CMRPHA municipalities under the Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) grant program. Facilitated at the national level by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the PHEP program is meant to strengthen each community’s ability to prepare for, and respond to, public health emergencies.
All states receive yearly PHEP funding and a corresponding set of deliverables from the CDC. In Massachusetts, a percentage of the funding and deliverables is then filtered down to the regional and local levels. Deliverables include writing EDS plans, and then testing those plans by conducting drills. Each year, communities complete EDS set-up drills that include staffing, logistical, and operational components.
Chief of Emergency Preparedness Alissa Errede credited pre-pandemic drills for providing a layer of training and knowledge that helped prepare the CMRPHA for COVID-19 pandemic response. This year, the CMRPHA communities decided to augment an existing vaccine clinic to fulfill the EDS set-up drill deliverable, and further prepare for future emergencies.
