National health security preparedness index (2017)

The Preparedness Index  analyzes  more than 130 measures—such as hazard planning in public schools, monitoring food and water safety, wireless 9-1-1 capabilities, flu vaccination rates, and numbers of paramedics and hospitals—to calculate a composite score that provides the most comprehensive picture of health security and preparedness available.

This annual assessment of the United States' day-to-day preparedness for managing community health emergencies improved slightly over the last year—though deep regional inequities remain. The United States scored a 6.8 on a 10-point scale for preparedness—a 1.5 percent improvement over the last year, and a 6.3 percent improvement since the Index began four years ago.