Pandemic Preparedness

Federal, state, and local governments all play a major role in preventing outbreaks and pandemics and must be prepared with tools to keep people healthy and support economic recovery when they happen. The Center for American Progress is committed to researching and developing strategies to continue managing the COVID-19 pandemic as well as future pandemics. The following publications represent a collection of CAP's work in this area.

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5 Facts About the Monkeypox Outbreak Article
Health care workers work at intake tents in New York City.

5 Facts About the Monkeypox Outbreak

While monkeypox is less contagious than COVID-19 and largely preventable through vaccination, the outbreak has highlighted that the U.S. public health system remains underprepared for crises.

Marquisha Johns

The United States Must Deliver on Equitable Housing Outcomes for All Article
A man bicycles past a row of houses in Philadelphia.

The United States Must Deliver on Equitable Housing Outcomes for All

Federal investments kept millions of Americans in their homes during the pandemic; in the long term, commitment to bold federal housing policy can eliminate housing insecurity for millions while uplifting historically disadvantaged communities.

Ashfaq Khan

How State and Local Leaders Can Prepare for Future COVID-19 Surges Article
A man gets a COVID-19 test at a testing hub at Penn Station in New York.

How State and Local Leaders Can Prepare for Future COVID-19 Surges

As COVID-19 wanes and governments relax public health measures, policymakers must closely monitor indicators that reflect prevalence and severity, precautions and protections, and treatment availability to maintain readiness for future surges and resume precautions as needed.

Jill Rosenthal

Biden Admin Should Expand Its Health Care Vaccine Requirement In the News

Biden Admin Should Expand Its Health Care Vaccine Requirement

Author Emily Gee argues that the Biden administration should expand its recent vaccine mandate—requiring vaccination for staff at all nursing homes receiving Medicare and Medicaid funds—to all entities receiving payment from the programs.

Newsweek

Emily Gee

Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination for Health Care Workers as a Condition for Medicare and Medicaid Participation Article
A nurse manager in Washington, D.C., fills a syringe with a dose of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine during a walk-up clinic at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on May 6, 2021. (Getty/Chip Somodevilla)

Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination for Health Care Workers as a Condition for Medicare and Medicaid Participation

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services should make COVID-19 vaccination mandatory for providers participating in Medicare and Medicaid, as this action would protect vulnerable patients, set a positive example for other employers, and contribute to the national effort to contain the virus.

Jill Rosenthal, Emily Gee, Maura Calsyn

Vaccine rollout is a success story unlike any in the world In the News

Vaccine rollout is a success story unlike any in the world

Authors Jill Rosenthal and Ben Hatt commend the United States’ vaccine rollout and explain what must be done to ensure its continued success in the months ahead.

the Tyler Morning Telegraph

Jill Rosenthal, Ben Hatt

Fighting Coronavirus Misinformation and Disinformation Report
A woman wears a plastic glove while holding her cell phone during the coronavirus pandemic, April 9, 2020, in New York City. (Getty/John Lamparski)

Fighting Coronavirus Misinformation and Disinformation

Social media platforms must fundamentally rethink their products to reduce the health risks posed by disinformation and misinformation about the coronavirus crisis.

Erin Simpson, Adam Conner

Digital Contact Tracing To Contain the Coronavirus Article
A person wearing a face mask crosses the street in New York City on April 15, 2020. (Getty/Noam Galai)

Digital Contact Tracing To Contain the Coronavirus

Digital contact tracing, if built in a voluntary, privacy-protective way using Apple and Google’s new Bluetooth-based standards, may allow the public to play a role in containing the coronavirus alongside increased testing and manual contact tracing from public health authorities.

Erin Simpson, Adam Conner

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