Restoring Immunization Services Provided by the Vaccines for Children Program in Puerto Rico After Hurricanes Irma and Maria, 2017-2019.

CONTEXT

In September 2017, Hurricanes Irma and Maria impacted Puerto Rico, causing significant disruption of immunization services and vaccine losses due to widespread infrastructure and electrical grid damage and resulting cold chain failures.

OBJECTIVE

To describe posthurricane efforts undertaken to restore and strengthen immunization services provided by Puerto Rico's federally funded Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program, a network of clinics that provide vaccines to eligible children.

DESIGN

Historical records were reviewed to characterize Puerto Rico's prehurricane immunization system. Site visits to assess VFC clinic posthurricane operational status were conducted by the Puerto Rico Department of Health, working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other partners. Infrastructure repair and acquisition of backup generators, temperature data loggers, and replacement vaccines were carried out to restore operations.

RESULTS

Prior to the hurricanes, 224 VFC clinics throughout the island provided immunizations. An initial assessment 10 days after Hurricane Maria showed that only 11 (5%) of the clinics were operational. Reasons included ongoing power outages; difficulties in obtaining generator fuel; equipment or facility damage; and damaged vaccines. The VFC clinics were restored incrementally; 123 (55%) were operational by December 2017, 193 (86%) by May 2018, and 204 (91%) by May 2019. Long-term recovery activities are underway and focus on strengthening Puerto Rico's immunization system to withstand future disasters, including improving backup power systems.

CONCLUSION

Through coordinated efforts of the Puerto Rico Department of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other partners, the operational status of VFC clinics posthurricanes was assessed and operations restored. Emergency plans for vaccine storage and handling, which called for alternative vaccine storage locations and backup generators, were inadequate to address disasters of the magnitude of Hurricanes Irma and Maria; such plans need to consider the possibility of large-scale disasters that result in long-term power outages.