Are You Prepared for a Zombie Apocalypse? CDC Offers Tips to Survive One

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recently updated its zombie apocalypse preparedness section on its website, which was originally published in 2011.

What makes it interesting is that the Zombie Preparedness section was updated at a time when millions of people are experiencing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. It also came to a year that French astrologer Nostradamus predicted a zombie apocalypse. Many are claiming that Nostradamus predicted a zombie apocalypse in 2021.

The CDC ties back preparedness advice to zombies with a blog post listing out the things needed, such as necessary supplies at home, in case of a zombie apocalypse, Yahoo Life reported.

The CDC said they launched the zombie apocalypse survival guidelines to draw new audiences that have been proven to be an effective strategy in tackling disaster preparedness.

With this, the agency noted that they could continue to reach and engage various audiences on all hazard's preparedness. CDC is also offering lesson plans for educators on zombie apocalypse preparedness.

"Once you've made your emergency kit, you should sit down with your family and come up with an emergency plan. This includes where you would go and who you would call if zombies started appearing outside your door step," the CDC wrote on its site.

The CDC added that people could also use the zombie apocalypse survival guide if there is a flood, earthquake, or other emergencies.

The agency has also created the CDC Foundation that offers Zombie Task Force t-shirts. The CDC said proceeds would go to benefit disaster relief efforts and other important health programs.

What Experts Say About the CDC's Zombie Apocalypse Survival Guidelines

Disaster preparedness experts and doctors lauded the CDC campaign, saying it is actually pretty smart.

Here are some tips given by the CDC for an emergency situation like a zombie attack: make an emergency kit with water and food lasting for several days, plan your evacuation route, identify your emergency contacts, and "pick a meeting place for your family to regroup in case zombies invade your home."

John Sellick, a professor in the Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo, said that he thinks it is "great," adding that disaster preparedness is crucial.

Cheryl Nelson, a FEMA-certified natural disaster preparedness instructor and founder of Prepare with Cher, said the idea is brilliant because it could gain attention and it makes preparing fun.

Mitchel Rosen, an associate professor in the Department of Urban and Global Public Health at the Rutgers School of Public Health, noted that the CDC is only trying to make disaster preparedness relatable to all populations and fun to learn.

Lee Clarke, a sociology professor at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, told Yahoo Life that substituting "zombie" for "hurricane" or "flood" is interesting, and "it draws people in."

The CDC admits that the scenario is just fictional. However, the agency said the zombie apocalypse survival guidelines are still useful for teaching legitimate emergency preparedness skills, Newsweek reported.

Sellick noted that the underlying message, which is to be prepared for the unexpected, is important and relevant nowadays.

Meanwhile, a Reuters investigation earlier found that there was no evidence to support claims that Nostradamus had predicted the COVID-19 pandemic.