Societal Security and COVID-19

It is clear that the global COVID-19 pandemic impacted public health on a massive scale. However, almost as importantly, it also emphasized a variety of significant security threats with both domestic and international implications. This chapter examines a subset of threats impacting the delivery of healthcare called Non-Medical Obstacles. These obstacles represent four categories, including security, logistics, communications, and culture. With a focus on the security Non-Medical Obstacle, this chapter examines attacks on health care workers; national security (including use of the military during a pandemic, vaccine mandates in the military, and vaccine diplomacy); law enforcement, and cybersecurity vulnerabilities. While not a comprehensive list, these represent a diverse sample of the variety of security concerns the COVID-19 pandemic underscored to the world. However, these issues are not COVID-specific and are critical considerations for future public health planning for any type of emergency. After examining each of these items individually, this chapter concludes with a discussion of policy recommendations to overcome these security Non-Medical Obstacles.