Texas Pandemic Flu Toolkit

The Texas Pandemic Flu Toolkit is a collection of tools developed by the University of Texas at Austin funded by the Texas Department of State Health services.

Texas Antiviral Release Scheduling

This tool computes a time phased release schedule for influenza antivirals in Texas. The user specifies the availability of antivirals, and a set of influenza scenarios describing possible progressions of the disease in Texas. The tool outputs a time phased release schedule of antivirals, specifying the amounts and counties to which the antivirals should be released.

Texas Antiviral Distribution

The Texas Antiviral Distribution tool computes optimal solutions for distributing strategic national stockpile antivirals using pharmacies throughout the state. The user specifies the target geographic regions, target populations (entire or underinsured population), the number of antiviral courses to be distributed, participating pharmacy chains, and the maximum number of zip codes that can receive doses. The model then determines the set of zip codes that will most effectively serve the target population.

Texas Vaccine Allocation

The Texas Vaccine Allocation tool computes optimal solutions for allocating vaccine doses to Health Service Regions to supplement prior allocations to Registered Providers and Local Health Departments. The user specifies the vaccination priority groups, relative weights for each group, the number and types of vaccines available for each priority group, the counties eligible for HSR doses, and prior allocations. The model then determines the number of doses of each vaccine type that should be allocated to each priority group in each county to achieve equitable coverage across the state.

Texas Pandemic Flu Exercise Tool

The Texas Pandemic Flu Exercise tool is an interactive simulation-driven application for conducting public health preparedness exercises for DSHS central, regional, and local public health preparedness programs. It allows users to examine the magnitude and timing of influenza pandemics in Texas, and the effects of user-specified antiviral, vaccine and non-pharmaceutical interventions. The tool is designed to support the development of pandemic response plans, pandemic training exercises, and real-time pandemic decision-making. It runs on laptop/desktop computers and in the state-of-the-art Texas Advanced Computing Center Visualization Laboratory, which can be used as a decision theater for large-scale preparedness exercises.

Texas Pandemic Flu Simulator

The Texas Pandemic Flu Simulator allows for simulation of flu pandemics across the state of Texas under user-defined scenarios. Antiviral, vaccine, and public health announcement interventions are modeled. Results can be interactively visualized.

Texas Ventilator Stockpiling

The Texas Ventilator Stockpiling tool computes optimal solutions for central and regional ventilator stockpiles based on expected peak-week ventilator demands. These demands can either be provided by the user, or imported from the Texas Pandemic Flu Forecasting tool.