The White House and the Homeland Security Council have released a National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza. You can download the Executive Summary or the entire Implementation Plan at right. (Both documents are Adobe PDF.)
Also, at PandemicFlu.gov, there is information on how to prepare for a pandemic, such as SARS, what to do if one strikes, as well as the ability to monitor outbreaks.
The USPS is currently creating an operation plan to deal with a pandemic if one should occur.
Pandemic Mitigation
The best protection against pandemic influenza—a vaccine that is well-matched to the virus causing illness—is not likely to be available at the outset of a pandemic. Community strategies that do not involve vaccines or medications (also called non-pharmaceutical interventions) may serve as a first line of defense to help delay or mitigate the spread of influenza.
Mitigation guidelines issued by the CDC (February 2007) include social distancing strategies to reduce contact between people:
- closing schools
- canceling public gatherings
- planning for liberal work leave policies
- teleworking strategies
- voluntary isolation of cases
- voluntary quarantine of household contacts
The guidance was developed through a collaborative process that included public health officials, mathematical modelers, researchers, and stakeholders from government, academia, private industry, education, and civic and faith-based organizations. It will be refined as needed based on further knowledge gained from research, exercises, and practical experience.
The full document: Interim Pre-pandemic Planning Guidance: Community Strategy for Pandemic Influenza Mitigation in the United States - Early Targeted Layered use of Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions is available at: Community Strategy for Pandemic Influenza Mitigation (PDF - 2.51 MB) |
