Pandemic Exercise 201

About Pandemic Exercise 201

Event 201 was a pandemic tabletop exercise hosted by the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, the World Economic Forum, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation on October 18, 2019. The exercise simulated a coronavirus pandemic originating in Brazilian pigs that spread globally. The fictional scenario modelled 65 million deaths; the organisers later stated that it was not a prediction. Participants included business leaders and government and public health officials. The exercise focused on business and government response, including supply chain disruption, misinformation, and vaccine development. Event 201 was criticized during the COVID pandemic by conspiracy theorists who claimed it predicted or caused the pandemic. While the exercise involved a coronavirus, this reflected the recognized threat of coronaviruses after SARS and MERS. The exercise accurately identified challenges including PPE shortages, vaccine nationalism, and misinformation. The recommendations from Event 201, including the need for public private partnerships and rapid response financing, had largely not been implemented when COVID emerged, according to the organisers.