County Plans and Leads Measles Response Tabletop Exercise
On Friday, March 28, 2025, over 65 participants attended a hybrid tabletop exercise addressing a hypothetical measles outbreak on the Cape and Islands. The exercise was facilitated by Chip Reilly, Barnstable County’s Emergency Preparedness Director and long-time public health professional Lisa Crowner.
The majority of participants were public health officials from the Cape and Islands Health Agent’s Coalition (HAC), representing Cape Cod’s 15 towns, Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard. Representatives from Joint Base Cape Cod were in attendance as well. Participants from agencies outside of Barnstable County included North Shore Collaborative, Greater Boroughs Partnership, North Suffolk Public Health Collaborative, Southern Plymouth Public Health Collaborative, Southern Massachusetts Public Health Collaborative, North Collaborative, Mystic Valley Coalition, and Berkshire County.
Objectives for this exercise were as follows:
- Identify regional risks associated with a potential measles of other infectious disease outbreak.
- Identify gaps in existing response plans and standard operating procedures.
- Develop strategies to address structural health disparities.
- Evaluate capability to distribute medical countermeasures efficiently.
- Outline actionable steps for updates to address evolving threats.
Scenario: Participants in this exercise were presented with a hypothetical scenario in which a healthcare worker returns from international travel and unknowingly introduces measles to multiple long-term care facilities in Barnstable County. Due to unknown vaccination status and delayed diagnosis, secondary infections occur among staff and residents, leading to an outbreak.
Exercise play was limited to discussion-based scenarios focusing on epidemiological response, vaccination needs, public communication, resource coordination, and health equity.
