Computational tools for evaluating bioemergency contingency plans

Abstract

Bioemergencies and bioterrorism play an increasingly important role in public health disaster preparedness. Posing a major challenge, the timely distribution of vaccine and medication to the population in case of an emergency requires contingency plans to be thoroughly analyzed. The enormous scale of possible response scenarios together with intrinsic confidential requirements make field studies both infeasible and unpractical. Computational tools offer the ability to evaluate different scenarios and alter contingency plans instantaneously. Here, we describe the methodology for the evaluation of response scenarios involving the dispension of vaccine or medication at fixed locations within a geographic region. © 2009 WIT Press.