Testing Ability To Vaccinate Large Groups Of People Simultaneously

If a flu pandemic hits Southwest Washington and the rest of the nation, one of the challenges to public health will be to quickly provide antivirals or vaccinations to the public. To prepare for any possible scenario that would require mass vaccinations, public health agencies in Clark, Cowlitz, Wahkiakum, and Skamania counties are conducting Operation TriPOD, an exercise that will test the agencies' abilities to simultaneously vaccinate large groups of people in multiple locations.

The exercise takes place on November 28 and involves setting up seven flu vaccination clinics that will simulate mass point of dispensing sites (PODs). They will be held at the following locations: