Vox Sanguinis Publishes Article Highlighting the Critical Role of the AABB Disaster Task Force in US Disaster Response

A new open-access article published recently in Vox Sanguinis details how the AABB Interorganizational Task Force for Domestic Disasters and Acts of Terrorism activates to protect the blood supply during disasters and public health emergencies.

Since 2001, the IDTF has brought together representatives from civilian and military blood organizations, key health care organizations and liaisons from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to assess threats, guide blood collections and ensure clear public messaging during emergencies. Because the U.S. blood supply is decentralized, the IDTF provides a forum for coordinating responses across multiple blood collection and health care organizations.

In the article, Glenn Ramsey, MD, FCAP, who served more than 20 years on the task force, and Frank Berry, director of the IDTF, describe the group’s founding and review its organizational structure and operational procedures. They also highlight lessons learned during key activations. These include responses to hurricanes, the Zika virus epidemic and COVID-19 pandemic, cyberattacks on blood centers and the 2010 Haiti earthquake.