A new national report ranks Vermont in the bottom half of states on how well prepared it is for emergencies such as a bioterrorism attack or pandemic flu.
The report by the Washington-based Trust for America’s Health says Vermont lacks an adequate supply of vaccines and lab facilities to detect biohazards.
It also says the state doesn’t have an acceptable percentage of its elderly residents getting an annual flu shot.
Acting Health Commissioner Sharon Moffatt says Vermont is working to address those shortcomings.
She also disputes a part of the report saying the state lacks an adequate number of spare hospital beds.