ASPR

ASPR, usually capitalized as ASPR, stands for the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) office. It was created by the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act of 2006 to strengthen the nation’s ability to prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from health emergencies.

The ASPR leads federal public health preparedness and response efforts. It coordinates with federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial partners and oversees policy, planning, and resource allocation for medical countermeasures, including vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics.

Key components include the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), which funds late-stage development of countermeasures; the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS), which stores and distributes medical supplies; and the Public Health Emergency Medical Countermeasures Enterprise (PHEMCE), a coordination framework across HHS and with other agencies. ASPR also administers the Hospital Preparedness Program and contributes to the National Health Security Strategy and the National Biodefense Strategy.

In practice, ASPR has played a central role in U.S. responses to major health emergencies, including pandemics and biothreats, by guiding preparedness activities, accelerating development of countermeasures, and ensuring rapid deployment of stockpiled resources. The office continues to adapt to evolving threats and aims to improve resilience of the health care system.