Public Health Emergency Preparedness
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In the United States government, the Office of Public Health Emergency Preparedness (or OPHEP) is the branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The office was established in June of 2002 at the request of Tommy Thompson, and is responsible for emergency preparedness and the protection of the civilian population against bioterrorism and other public health emergencies.
The first head of OPHEP was Donald Henderson, credited with having previously eradicated Smallpox. Soon Jerry Hauer, a veteran public health expert, took over as director, with Henderson taking a different role in the department. Hauer was removed from the job primarily for conflicts he had with Scooter Libby over whether the risks of smallpox vaccination were worth the benefit. Hauer charged that the Office of the Vice President was pushing for the universal vaccination despite the vaccine's health risks, primarily exaggerate the risk of biological terrorism.
The current head of OPHEP is Stewart Simonson, a former Amtrak corporate lawyer and confidant of Tommy Thompson. His appointment has been criticised as cronyism, since Simonson is a Republican-loyalist with no public health experience.
