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Boston, MA 02115
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Pressroom:
Press Room
FORM IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 16, 2003
Contact:
Mary-Ellen Shay
617-355-6420
mary.shay@childrens.harvard.edu

Expert on BioTerrorism and Children Speaks Out on How to Prepare for an Attack
Michael Shannon, M.D., M.P.H., Chief of Emergency Medicine at Children's Hospital Boston announces first Center for Biopreparedness focussed on children; says all hospitals, schools, childcare facilities, and local officials must be involved
Federal authorities urge the public to be aware the threat of a biological, chemical or even radiological attack is real. However, there are other steps to take to prepare for such an event, especially if you are a parent, or work with children. Michael Shannon, M.D., M.P.H., Chief of Emergency Medicine at Children's Hospital Boston says, ''We may very well first find out about a bioterrorism event by identifying illness in our children.''

That's why Children's Hospital Boston is leading the way in biopreparedness. Children's Hospital Boston recently launched the Center for Biopreparedness to focus much needed attention on the needs of children in case of a disaster--an act of terrorism, nature, or an accident. The newly created center is the first of its kind and will develop a model for the management of a biological, chemical or radiation event affecting children and their caregivers.
When children are exposed to a contaminant, their reaction may be more severe due to their smaller size--less surface area of their skin--and their more rapid breathing. Children may be at greater risk of a radiological attack because radiation tends to settle closer to the ground where children tend to be. ''As a nation we must be prepared to protect our kids,'' says Shannon. The first step starts at home according to Shannon, ''Families should develop a plan for communicating and reuniting and parents should make sure their children's schools and daycare facilities also have a plan to care for their children in the event of a disaster of any kind.''

Recently the National Advisory Committee on Children and Terrorism (NACCT) submitted its recommendations to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The committee report warns that while significant resources have been dedicated to the protection of structures and national monuments, relatively little has been done to safeguard the health and well-being of children.
Important NACCT findings:

  • Over 70 million children live in the U.S. today
  • Over 22 million children are 5 years old or younger
  • As of 1997 no state disaster plans had pediatric components
  • 20% of hospitals have access to pediatric emergency physicians and the majority of personnel have little pediatric training or experience

The committee has urged the federal government to: implement a comprehensive public health strategy to meet the needs of children and recognize the needs of children and families in the face of terrorism as an essential part of America's national security response to terrorism.
Children's Hospital Boston is the nation's premier pediatric medical center. Children's has been ranked #1 among the country's pediatric hospitals in U.S. News and World Report for 13 years in a row. Founded in 1869 as a 20-bed hospital for children, today it is a 300-bed comprehensive center for pediatric and adolescent health care grounded in the values of excellence in patient care and sensitivity to the complex needs and diversity of children and families. Children's Hospital Boston is the primary pediatric teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School, home to the world's leading pediatric research enterprise, and the largest provider of health care to the children of Massachusetts. For more information about the hospital visit: www.childrenshospital.org.

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