S M L XL

Submit your email address to get updates on The Community Guide topics of interest.

The Guide to Clinical Preventive Services

Together, the Community Guide and the Clinical Guide provide evidence-based recommendations across the prevention spectrum.

More

Emergency Preparedness and Response

A child's white stuffed bear with a blue mask covering its nose and mouth stands next to school books, with the words 'Class Cancelled' written on a chalkboard

Protecting the public from health threats involves both public health and medical preparedness. Both are essential for a population's health security and, hence, to the overall preparedness of the nation.

  • Public health preparedness is the ability of the public health system, community, and individuals to prevent, protect against, quickly respond to, and recover from health emergencies, particularly those in which scale, timing or unpredictability threatens to overwhelm routine capabilities.
  • Medical preparedness is the ability of the health care system to prevent, protect against, quickly respond to, and recover from health emergencies, particularly those whose scale, timing, or unpredictability threatens to overwhelm routine capabilities.

During an emergency, the public health system supports the health care system by helping to minimize illness and injuries when emergencies unfold, thus reducing the burden on the health care system.

Task Force Recommendations & Findings

This table lists interventions reviewed by the Community Guide, with a summary of the Task Force finding (definitions of findings). Click on an underlined intervention title for a summary of the review.

School Dismissals to Reduce Transmission of Pandemic Influenza Recommended
August 2012

For More Information

CDC, Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response External Web Site Icon

FEMA, www.ready.gov External Web Site Icon



Disclaimer

The findings and conclusions on this page are those of the Community Preventive Services Task Force and do not necessarily represent those of CDC.

Sample Citation

The content of publications of the Guide to Community Preventive Services is in the public domain. Citation as to source, however, is appreciated. Sample citation: Guide to Community Preventive Services. Emergency preparedness and response. www.thecommunityguide.org/emergencypreparedness/index.html. Last updated: MM/DD/YYYY.