(Photo: Center for Disease Control)

Courtney Balcombe

News Editor

clb6264@psu.edu

In 2011 the Center for Disease Control released a blog as well as graphic novels containing preparations if a zombie apocalypse was to begin.

According to the CDC, it originally began as “a tongue-in-cheek campaign to engage new audiences with preparedness messages has proven to be a very effective platform. We continue to reach and engage a wide variety of audiences on all hazards preparedness via ‘zombie preparedness.’”

The word zombie originated in New Orleans and Haitian voodoo rituals, the word has varying definitions but it always relates to a human corpse mysteriously reanimated to serve the undead. Through ancient voodoo and folk-lore traditions. However, in movies and TV shows, zombies are created by infectious viruses that are passed on through bites and contact with bodily fluids.

Many of the preparations the CDC includes many people to have are the same you would want to have in the event of a natural disaster. This includes the following items, but you can find a full list on the CDC’s emergency page at 

• Water (1 gallon per person per day)
• Food (stock up on non-perishable items that you eat regularly)
• Medications (this includes prescription and non-prescription meds)
• Tools and Supplies (utility knife, duct tape, battery-powered radio, etc.)
• Sanitation and Hygiene (household bleach, soap, towels, etc.)
• Clothing and Bedding (a change of clothes for each family member and blankets)
• Important documents (copies of your driver’s license, passport, and birth certificate to name a few)
• First Aid supplies (although you’re a goner if a zombie bites you, you can use these supplies to treat basic cuts and lacerations that you might get during a tornado or hurricane)

After creating your emergency kit, begin planning your emergency plan which includes where you go and who you would call if zombies started appearing outside your doorstep.

Begin by identifying the emergency you’re in, then pick a meeting spot for your family to meet at. Identify the emergency contacts for your family as well as out-of-state contacts to let them know what is happening and that you are safe. Finally, plan your evacuation route.

According to the CDC, if zombies did start roaming the streets, they would conduct an investigation much like any other disease outbreak. As well as provide technical assistance to cities, states, or international partners dealing with a zombie infestation.

The CDC also offers preparations for educators for the zombie apocalypse. This includes a website requested after the 2011 campaign, the website was created to help educators teach middle school-aged children the basics of emergency preparedness and response using a fun, fictitious scenario.

To continue the fun for children as well as zombie lovers, the CDC created a graphic novel for readers to follow Todd, Julie, and their dog Max as a strange new disease begins spreading, turning ordinary people into zombies. Stick around to the end for a surprising twist that will drive home the importance of being prepared for any emergency. Included in the novel is a Preparedness Checklist so that readers can get their family, workplace, or school ready before disaster strikes.

To read the graphic novel created by the CDC for a zombie apocalypse visit the CDC website at https://www.cdc.gov/cpr/zombie/novel.htm

Make sure to stay safe and prepare for any kind of emergency, even the zombie apocalypse.