Publications and Resources
CDC is committed to providing timely and accurate information on public health preparedness and response issues. This includes reports on the progress that state and local health departments are making to prepare and protect their communities, planning resources for public health professionals, and simple guides to help prepare your homes and families for an emergency. We hope that you find our resources helpful and please check back for updated publications.
Ready Wrigley
Helps her family prepare for emergencies! Wrigley’s preparedness adventure will help you and your family get ready for the unexpected. In an emergency, would you know what to do?
All-Hazards Preparedness Guide
PHPR’s All-Hazards Preparedness Guide provides general preparedness information as well as comprehensive steps to follow before, during, and after specific hazards. Specific hazards covered include: Earthquake, Extreme Heat, Flood, Hurricane, Landslide/Mudslide, Pandemic Influenza, Radiation, Tornado, Tsunami, Volcano, Wildfire, and Winter Weather.
Identifying Vulnerable Older Adults and Legal Options for Increasing Their Protection During All-Hazards Emergencies
is intended to help close many of the gaps in emergency planning and preparedness for vulnerable older adults. It aims to give public health officials, the Aging Services Network, emergency management personnel, and other partners the information, strategies, and resources they need to improve the planning and protection of vulnerable, community-dwelling older adults during all types of emergencies.

The National Strategic Plan for Public Health Preparedness and Response
(2011) is a guide for CDC, the entire public health system, and its stakeholders to secure the health of the nation and attain the plan’s collective 2020 vision of “people’s health protected – public health secured”.
2023 Office of Readiness and Response Readiness Report
CDC’s Center for Preparedness and Response (CPR) became the Office of Readiness and Response (ORR) in 2023. This report summarizes some of the many achievements of ORR, including COVID-19 and mpox emergency responses, in late 2022 and early 2023.

The Public Health Preparedness and Response 2018 National Snapshot
is CDC’s tenth preparedness report, highlighting preparedness activities and investments at the federal, state, and local levels, and featuring stories that demonstrate the impact of these activities.
The 2017 National Snapshot of Public Health Preparedness.
is CDC’s ninth preparedness report, highlighting preparedness activities and investments at the federal, state, and local levels, and featuring stories that demonstrate the impact of these activities.

The 2016 National Snapshot of Public Health Preparedness
is CDC’s eighth preparedness report, highlighting preparedness activities and investments at the federal, state, and local levels, and featuring stories that demonstrate the impact of these activities.

The 2015 National Snapshot of Public Health Preparedness
is CDC’s seventh preparedness report, highlighting preparedness activities and investments at the federal, state, and local levels, and featuring stories that demonstrate the impact of these activities.

The 2013-2014 National Snapshot of Public Health Preparedness
is CDC’s sixth preparedness report, highlighting preparedness activities and investments at the federal, state, and local levels, and featuring stories that demonstrate the impact of these activities.

2012 State-By-State Report on Laboratory, Emergency Operations Coordination, and Emergency Public Information and Warning Capabilities
is CDC’s fifth preparedness report, highlighting preparedness activities and investments at the federal, state, and local levels, and featuring stories that demonstrate the impact of these activities.

Public Health Preparedness: 2011 State-by-State Update on Laboratory Capabilities and Response Readiness Planning
is CDC’s fourth preparedness report, highlighting preparedness activities and investments at the federal, state, and local levels, and featuring stories that demonstrate the impact of these activities.

Public Health Preparedness: Strengthening the Nation’s Emergency Response State by State
is CDC’s third preparedness report, highlighting preparedness activities and investments at the federal, state, and local levels, and featuring stories that demonstrate the impact of these activities.

Public Health Preparedness: Strengthening CDC’s Emergency Response
is CDC’s second preparedness report, highlighting preparedness activities and investments at the federal, state, and local levels, and featuring stories that demonstrate the impact of these activities.

Public Health Preparedness: Mobilizing State By State (2008)
is CDC’s first preparedness report, highlighting preparedness activities and investments at the federal, state, and local levels, and featuring stories that demonstrate the impact of these activities.
- Remembering 9/11 and Anthrax: Public Health’s Vital Role in National Defense (2011)
This report by Trust for America’s Health (a nonprofit, non-partisan organization) includes more than 30 accounts by public health officials who were on the ground in response to 9/11 and anthrax, including many colleagues at CDC. - Ready or Not? Protecting the Public’s Health from Diseases, Disasters, and Bioterrorism
This annual report by Trust for America’s Health (a nonprofit, non-partisan organization) ranks states’ abilities to respond to a public health emergency according to 10 preparedness indicators.
Public
- Characterization of regulatory departures identified during inspections conducted by the United States Federal Select Agent Program, 2014–2015
- Review of Requests to Exclude Attenuated Strains of Select Agents and Modified Select Toxins, Division of Select Agents and Toxins, 2003-2016
Federal
- CDC Emergency Preparedness and Response
Learn about CDC’s role in preparedness and response activities and current emergencies. - PandemicFlu.gov U.S.
Government avian and pandemic flu information. - Assistant Secretary for Preparedness & Response
This entity coordinates interagency activities for emergency preparedness. - National Response Framework
Comprehensive structure for responding to all types of hazards. - Federal Emergency Management Agency
Non-Federal
- Center for Biosecurity
News, reports, and other publications on biosecurity issues. - Institute of Medicine Forum on Medical and Public Health Preparedness for Catastrophic Events
Fosters dialogue among stakeholders and provides ongoing opportunities to discuss and confront issues.