When public health officials were caught off-guard by the twin crises of the terror attacks on 9/11 and anthrax attacks soon after that, they had to improvise with severely outdated lab equipment and a shortage of manpower.
Today, health departments are faster on their feet because of cutting-edge technology, better-trained staffs and a closer relationship with national security agencies. But they would still be short-staffed in a catastrophe, according to a report released today by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Trust for America’s Health. Read More