Special Medical Needs

In a weekly report issued on June 5th, 1981, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) noted that over the last several months, five men in Los Angeles, California had been treated for a rare type of pneumonia. This is considered the first official documentation of AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) in the US. Today, people living with AIDS or other medical conditions depend on a complex array of medicines and services to survive.

When a disaster disrupts these services - even for a few hours - it can become a medical emergency for many residents of our community. Review your disaster planning efforts and see whether you've given appropriate attention to the "special medical needs" of your community.