Community Partners

The Division of State and Local Readiness in CDC’s Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response administers funds for preparedness activities to 62 state, local, and territorial public health systems through the Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) cooperative agreement program.

Through the PHEP program, CDC helps public health departments strengthen their abilities to respond to all types of public health threats and build more resilient communities. CDC plays a pivotal role in ensuring that state and local public health systems are prepared for public health emergencies because of its unique ability to respond to a wide range of threats that affect the public’s health.

Jackson County Public Health Emergency Preparedness works to educate the public and train county response partners in:

Integrated Shelter Support
Isolation and Quarantine
Mass Fatality
Mass Vaccination and Mass Prophylaxis
Medical Surge
Strategic National Stockpile Planning
Conduct drills and exercises to test plans

Jackson County Health Department’s Emergency Management team’s role in an emergency could consist of:

Local coordination of resources
Operation of Point of Dispensing Sites (PODs)
Medical countermeasure distribution and dispensing
Informing the public about health issues
Disease surveillance
Maintaining environmental security
Conducting local planning efforts
Partnering with community efforts

Point of Dispensing Sites (PODs)

A Point of Dispensing Site or POD site is where vaccines, antibiotics, and other medications or supplies can be quickly dispensed to a large number of people. A POD may be opened to prevent exposure to an infectious disease, treat a disease outbreak, or in response to a disaster with health safety implications.

A POD is designed to:

- Dispense vaccines or medication quickly and accurately
- Maintain a safe environment for staff and the public
- Serve all clients, including those with functional needs (language and
  literacy barriers, physical and cognitive disabilities, elders and children, etc.)
- Expand or contract to the needs of the operations
- Provide adequate staffing for the duration of the operations

A POD is NOT designed to:

- Provide services found at a healthcare facility or clinic
- Provide extensive medical treatment or evaluation
- Treat symptomatic individuals

In an emergency requiring the dispensing of medical material, the number of POD sites needed will be determined by the scope of the event and the needs of the affected population. This determination with be made by the Jackson County Health Department Emergency Preparedness staff in coordination with epidemiological data and partner emergency management agencies.

Medical material dispensed at POD sites will initially be provided through local level resources. Once local resources are expected to run out, JACOHD will request regional or state assistance. If regional or state resources are not adequate to respond to the emergency needs, the State Emergency Management Agency may request what is known as the Strategic National Stockpile from the Center for Disease Control to supplement local and regional medical material resources.

Currently, JACOHD POD sites function under a medical model; however, in the event of an emergency, JACOHD may authorize the use of a non-medical model to ensure the prophylaxis of the entire affected population in a reasonable amount of time.

To ensure your POD staff are qualified to dispense under a non-medical model, they must participate in the POD training provided by JACOHD. Please reach out to the health department for more information.

POD sites may function in a medical or non-medical model.

Non-medical Model:

Allows for non-medically certified staff and volunteers to dispense antibiotics and or vaccinations in Missouri, during a governor-declared emergency after completion of specific POD training.