Defense Health Network Continental hosts measles outbreak tabletop exercise
Defense Health Network Continental personnel hosted a virtual tabletop exercise, Aug. 26, 2026, to evaluate medical preparedness and response protocols in the event of a measles outbreak. About 80 Air Force Medical Service healthcare professionals and DHN partners attended the exercise from military treatment facilities across the United States.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics, the U.S. recorded more than 3,400 measles cases by Sept. 17, 2026. This total surpasses the peak set in 2025, which stands as the nation’s largest measles outbreak in three decades.
Measles is a highly contagious virus that spreads rapidly among unvaccinated populations, posing severe health risks to infants, immunocompromised individuals and pregnant women.
“Today’s tabletop exercise is our chance to prepare, not just react,” said Eric Stringer, DHN-Continental chief of staff. “We are here to test our response, identify gaps in coordination and communication, and strengthen our partnerships. … How do we protect the people we serve day in and day out and our beneficiaries?”
Dr. Kai-Wood Ma, DHN-Continental preventive health lead, and Christopher Florez, DHN-Continental infection preventionist, facilitated real-world scenarios among multidisciplinary teams that included MTF leadership, clinical staff, public health and preventive medicine, emergency management and public affairs.
The five core objectives of the exercise were:
- Evaluating an MTF’s protocol for infection control and isolation for suspected measles cases to mitigate airborne contamination.
- Testing pathways for diagnostics through coordination with local state laboratories.
- Reporting probable measles cases into the Disease Reporting System Internet database within DHA’s mandatory 12-hour window.
- Assessing readiness to trace exposure, determining immunity among civilians and healthcare professionals, and post-exposure management.
- Decision-making matrices and guidelines for public communications as outlined in DoDI 6200.03.
Through the network-led exercise, AFMS personnel reviewed and identified base-level capabilities to prevent, identify and contain probable measles cases.
“Such exercises polish our coordinated response to be effective and achievable,” said Maj. Hanna Chang, Office of the Air Force Surgeon General chief of preventive medicine. She highlighted the exercise as a proactive effort to maintain medically ready forces.
As the number of confirmed cases in the United States continues to develop, these preventive efforts ensure that the AFMS can maintain its high-reliability care at a moment’s notice and in partnership with the Defense Health Agency.
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