A new report finds that New York State could be better prepared to respond to weather or public health emergencies. Trust for America’s Health CEO John Auerbach says the state has seen a wide range of emergencies over the last decade or two.
Some of these emergencies, Central New Yorkers know all too well.
"Over the years we've seen infectious disease emergencies from West Nile Virus to the concerns about Ebola and Zika, and certainly New York State also is vulnerable to weather-related emergencies. The winters can be difficult. There can be a lot of snow and ice."
Auerbach says local governments are only as prepared as funding allows. He says federal support for New York’s public health departments has decreased by 30 percent in recent years. Combine that with the state’s low 40 percent flu vaccination rate, and Auberbach says that could pose a problem.
"And those vaccination levels are also an indication of how quickly the state might be able to distribute a new vaccine if it was developed to respond to an emergency situation with a new illness that required that kind of distribution."
On the positive side, Auerbach says the state has been accredited by two national organizations for its high capacity to respond, and good hospital participation in healthcare coalitions.