THREAD on homeland security pandemic preparedness. So what does that cliche "whole of govenment" mean in anticipation of a pandemic? My experience is dated, from H1N1 not Ebola, but here are some thoughts. #coronoavirus 1/
A White House matters. Planning is a friend right now. This is commonly referred to as a slow roll crisis: its potential impact can be seen coming. But, we now have a shell of a homeland security office, a demoted homeland security advisor, no pandemic preparedness office. 2/
This matters because the equities involved in response aren't merely owned by CDC or HHS. There will be border and visa issues (State, DHS); military resources needed (DOD); schools potentially cancelled (Education); a vaccine production focus (Commerce/Treasury); 3/
Union issues related to TSA and CBP agents and their rights (Labor); vaccine distribution (state, local, territorial and tribal). I am probably forgetting many. But the point is that the planning will require a WH to adjudicate and prioritize how the US will respond. 4/
Let's take vaccine distribution, for example. Once we had one for H1N1, the WH had to determine the existential question of who gets it first: first responders, military, public health workers, then. . . . border states. Makes sense, but it's political and it's a WH call. 5/
These decisions are going to have to be decided all the time. A mere agency can't make them; an agency might not even know its an issue (DHS had to inform HHS during H1N1 of the TSA labor union concerns). CDC/HHS are subject matter leads but they don't have all the resources.6/
None of this has to be done in panic. It should already be planned; we have the lessons learned from H1N1, Ebola, etc. These meetings should be occurring now, again not out of panic but b/c its government's responsibility to think ahead and prepare. 7/
Should #coronoavirus not be able to be contained, we will be challenged here. And the more we plan now, the less those challenges will seem overwhelming or even surprising. This is why we have a WH and an NSC/Homeland Security Council. To plan so that there is no panic. 8/8
