Engineering &…

Ever since President Bush announced his flu plan on Tuesday, citizens have been in a panic about where to find a flu vaccine should an outbreak occur. In an attempt to quiet rising fears, this new $7.1 billion plan would provide enough flu vaccine for the nation and to create stockpiles of drugs to treat those who become infected. However, some of these goals will be unreachable even by 2010. Therefore, it is up to local community officials to come up with a viable supply and distribution plan of action in the even of a true emergency. Dr. Jeffrey Herrmann, a professor of mechanical engineering and member of the Institute for Systems Research at the University of Maryland has developed free software based in Microsoft Excel to help emergency responders run effective vaccination clinics. “Should mass dispensing or mass vaccination be needed, the software can help public health officials adjust their plans to respond to the scenario that is happening,” Herrmann said. “They can quickly make important decisions that will affect how fast their citizens receive treatment.” Such streamlined processes can make or break a critical situation in a time of crisis. Planners in several counties around the nation intend to implement this new system.