Report shows US states underprepared for disaster
Source: Reuters
Corrects Oklahoma's rating from 9 to 10 Dec 12 (Reuters) - A new report shows 60 percent of U.S. states are poorly prepared for a pandemic, biological attack or similar disaster. The report from the Trust for America's Health ranks the states and the District of Columbia on 10 measures of preparedness, which include the ability to distribute emergency vaccines, antidotes, and medical supplies; to test for biological threats, including anthrax, plague and influenza; hospital bed capacity; vaccination rates against seasonal influenza and pneumonia; compatibility with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Electronic Disease Surveillance System; the numbers of nurses; and public health budgets. Only Oklahoma was given a 10 out of 10 score by the non-profit Trust. Here is how the states stack up: Alabama.8 Alaska..5 Arizona.5 Arkansas...............5 California.............4 Colorado...............6 Connecticut............5 Delaware...............7 District of Columbia...5 Florida.7 Georgia.7 Hawaii..7 Idaho...7 Illinois...............7 Indiana.6 Iowa....4 Kansas..9 Kentucky...............8 Louisiana..............6 Maine...5 Maryland...............4 Massachusetts..........6 Michigan...............8 Minnesota..............7 Mississippi............6 Missouri...............8 Montana.8 Nebraska...............8 Nevada..6 New Hampshire..........7 New Jersey.............4 New Mexico.............6 New York...............7 North Carolina.........6 North Dakota...........7 Ohio....5 Oklahoma..............10 Oregon..6 Pennsylvania...........5 Rhode Island...........6 South Carolina.........5 South Dakota...........8 Tennessee..............7 Texas...8 Utah....6 Vermont.6 Virginia...............8 Washington.............8 West Virginia..........8 Wisconsin..............6 Wyoming.8
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