SPARS Pandemic 2025-2028

 SPARS Pandemic 2025-2028(“Pandemic/Preparation”,  mid-level deep event,  planning exercise)

Date	October 2017
Participants	Monica Schoch-Spana, Emily K. Brunson, Tara Kirk Sell, Gigi Kwik Gronvall, Matthew P. Shearer, Sanjana Ravi, Hannah Chandler
Perpetrators	Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security
Interests	pandemics
Description	A tabletop pandemic planning exercise that gave advice how to handle "communication challenges" in a vaccination campaign after the public has become aware that it is more damaging than the disease. Held October 2017.

The SPARS Pandemic (2025-2028) planning exercise describes a vaccination campaign after a pandemic with a novel coronavirus, "SPARS-CoV". The planning involves "communication challenges" in continuing the vaccine rollout after the population has become aware that the vaccine has severe side effects and may be more damaging than the disease.

"Self-guided tabletop training experience challenges public health communicators and risk communication researchers to consider the complex messaging dilemmas of a future outbreak that requires development of a new vaccine."

Scenario

In mid-October 2025, three deaths were reported at a church in St. Paul, Minnesota. The CDC later confirms a novel coronavirus, known as the St. Paul Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SPARS-CoV, or SPARS). A few days later the spread accelerated due to asymptomatic individuals traveling. By mid-December, SPARS cases were reported in 26 states, as well as Mexico, Canada, Brazil, Japan, and several European countries. Early case fatality estimates were strongly overstated. A vaccine with strong side effects was developed; the side effects were: swollen legs, severe joint pain, and encephalitis leading to seizures or death. The Department of Health and Human Services agreed to provide liability protection to the vaccine manufacturer. Citizens began to challenge the use of pharmaceuticals and vaccines; social media campaigns against the vaccine became significant. Government authorities started to employ social media experts to develop public health messaging.

In case the YouTube video is censored, it might still be available on Odysee

Weblinks

• SPARS Pandemic Scenario
• The SPARS Pandemic 2025–2028: A Futuristic Scenario to Facilitate Medical Countermeasure Communication

 

Known Participant

1 of the 7 of the participants already have pages here:

Participant	Description
Matthew Shearer	Spooky US Navy officer who moved to biosecurity. He was an integral part of developing and implementing the Clade X and Event 201 pandemic exercises.

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