DHS unprepared for pandemic, watchdog says

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Source: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/...watchdog-says/

DHS unprepared for pandemic, watchdog says
By Phillip Swarts - The Washington Times - Monday, September 8, 2014

The Homeland Security Department is unprepared should a disease hit U.S. shores, a watchdog report said Monday.

Despite being tasked with protecting the U.S. from dangerous threats, DHS could have trouble stopping any pandemic that spreads across the U.S., said the agency?s internal watchdog, the Office of the Inspector General.

?DHS cannot ensure it has sufficient personal protective equipment and antiviral medical countermeasures for a pandemic response,? the IG said...

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Re: DHS unprepared for pandemic, watchdog says

It's no wonder we haven't seen stockpile reports for a number of years.

The article says 84% of the hand sanitizer stock is expired, sometimes by as much as 4 years. Likewise, 81% of all the antiviral drugs the dept has will expire next year.

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Re: DHS unprepared for pandemic, watchdog says

Department of Homeland Security
Office of the Inspector General

DHS Has Not Effectively Managed Pandemic Personal Protective Equipment and Antiviral Medical Countermeasures

30+ pages of example after example of the following...

X The DHS National Capital Region (NCR) pandemic stockpile contains about 350,000 white coverall suits. No justification or related documentation was available to support that this quantity and type of PPE was necessary for pandemic response

X The Department has a reported inventory of approximately 16 million surgical masks without demonstrating a need for that quantity of masks.

The Department also did not develop alternative use or rotation plans for headquarters and component PPE stockpiles. The Department?s entire respirator stockpile has reached, or will soon reach, the manufacturer?s date of guaranteed usability. In fact, the Department?s own assessment is that the entire PPE stockpile will not be usable after 2015.

X The Transportation Security Administration?s (TSA) stock of pandemic PPE includes about 200,000 respirators that are beyond the 5Ͳyear manufacturer?s guaranteed usability. TSA is conducting sampling of its PPE to identify any specific problems with its usability. However, TSA officials said they will maintain existing stock and may use it for "employee comfort"

X The Department?s NCR and component pandemic PPE stockpiles include expired hand sanitizer. Out of 4,982 bottles, 4,184 (84 percent) are expired, some by up to 4 years.

Based on our analysis of antiviral MCM sent to components, OHA and components did not have complete or accurate inventories of pre-positioned antiviral MCM. Specifically, we identified the following:

X OHA sent more than 1,500 courses of antiviral MCM to the USSS headquarters. OHA did not have records of any MCM at USSS because it did not maintain shipment documentation.
X OHA sent 590 courses of antiviral MCM to eight CBP field offices, of which CBP headquarters was unaware because it did not monitor antiviral MCM until 2012.
X At two CBP locations, we found inventory discrepancies including one location that reported 90 courses, but actually had 1,344; and another location reported 330, but actually had 528.
X At three ICE field office locations, 720 courses of antiviral MCM were incorrectly reported to ICE headquarters as destroyed; yet, we identified they were still in possession of these MCM courses.

OHA spent approximately $600,000 on the antiviral MCM sent to component field offices. OHA does not have assurance that the pre-positioned antiviral MCM have been properly stored. Therefore, it is in the process of recalling approximately 32,000 courses of antiviral MCM for possible destruction due to concerns about safety and efficacy.

Tamiflu: 192,272 stockpiled, all expiring in 2015
Relenza: 103,734 stockpiled, 47,472 expiring in 2015 (46%)

The full report: http://www.oig.dhs.gov/assets/Mgmt/2...-129_Aug14.pdf