Pandemic Influenza Resources & Guidelines
Introduction | What All Citizens Should Do
Resources & Guidelines: Federal | State | National | International
Online Resources: Information | Tools
INTRODUCTION
Definition of Pandemic:
Pandemic is a worldwide epidemic; an epidemic occurring over a wide geographic area and affecting a large number of people.
Three essential conditions must be met for an outbreak to begin:
- A new flu virus must emerge from the animal reservoirs that have produced and harbored such viruses — one that has never infected human beings and therefore one for which no person has developed antibodies.
- The virus has to make humans sick (most do not).
- It must be able to spread efficiently, through coughing, sneezing, or a handshake.
- Seasonal influenza viruses:
- Are a public health problem every year.
- Circulate throughout the human population.
- Spread easily from person to person.
- Avian influenza A (H5N1) viruses:
- Devastating global outbreak in poultry.
- Cause severe but rare human infections.
- Do not spread easily from person to person.
- Pandemic influenza viruses :
- Appear in the human population periodically.
- H5N1 is a likely candidate, but it is not a pandemic virus yet.
- The likelihood of mutation or reassortment leading to efficient person-to-person transmission is unknown.
- Spread of avian H5N1 infections increases risk.
- Recent evolutionary changes in the virus make control among birds more difficult and continued spread likely.
- Other avian influenza A subtypes (H7N3, H7N7, H9N2) also have caused human infections
Only the THREAT of a pandemic currently exists; a viral strain capable of producing a pandemic in the human population has not been identified!
WHAT ALL CITIZENS SHOULD DO
- Store extra food and other daily supplies to make it easier to stay home for a prolonged period of time;
- Learn and practice proper hand washing;
- Use safe cough and sneeze techniques to limit the spread of illnesses; and
- Stay home and avoid others if you are sick.
RESOURCES & GUIDELINES
Federal:
U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is the lead federal agency responsible for pandemic influenza planning. All federal agencies in compliance with the President’s Implementation Plan for Pandemic Influenza are required to link resources on a single Web page at www.pandemicflu.gov.
- National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza
- National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza: Implementation Plan
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Emergency Medical Services (OEMS)
- EMS Pandemic Flu Guidelines for Statewide Adoption
- Preparing for Pandemic Influenza: Recommendations for Protocol Development for 9-1-1 Personnel and Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs)
Occupational Health and Safety Administration
- Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for an Influenza Pandemic, OSHA 3327-02N 2007
- Pandemic Influenza Preparedness and Response Guidance for Healthcare Workers and Healthcare Employers
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Office of Public Health Emergency Medical Countermeasures (OPHEMC)
State:
State Pandemic Influenza Plans
In order to compete for federal funding for pandemic influenza, individual states are required to file a pandemic influenza plan with DHHS. All 50 states, including 3 U.S. territories, have pandemic influenza plans included on the DHHS web site. Because states were provided the flexibility to create plans to best meet their own needs, each plan is unique in addressing the range of issues facing states and territories during an influenza pandemic. Many state health officials report these resources are “living documents” and under continuous review and revision. While newer versions may be available at individual state web sites, all state pandemic influenza resources provided to DHHS are included here.
In a survey conducted by NASEMSO in 2006, the following states reported the availability of specific statewide EMS pandemic influenza plans: CO, DC, HI, MD, MN, NC, PA, TX, and UT. The following states reported the inclusion of EMS objectives within the state pandemic influenza plan: AL, AK, DE, GA, IL, IA, ME, MT, NJ, NM, ND, TN, WV, and WY.
National:
National Association of State EMS Officials
Through a cooperative agreement with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the National Association of State EMS Officials coordinated the efforts of national stakeholders to identify statewide guidelines for EMS and 9-1-1 call centers on pandemic influenza. These documents will become available in an electronic format on the DHHS and NHTSA web sites. Individuals wishing to obtain a pre-publication version of these resources should contact NASEMSO Program Advisor Kathy Robinson.
Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
State Pandemic Influenza Summits: Building Partnerships for Pandemic Preparedness
ISDA and the Trust for America’s Health
Pandemic Influenza: The State of the Science
National Association of County and City Health Officials
Local Health Department Guide to Pandemic Influenza Planning
National Governors Association Center for Best Practices
Preparing for a Pandemic Influenza: A Primer for Governors and Senior State Officials
Trust for America’s Health
International:
WHO Pandemic Preparedness
WHO is coordinating the global response to human cases of H5N1 avian influenza and monitoring the corresponding threat of an influenza pandemic. Information on this page tracks the evolving situation and provides access to both technical guidelines and information useful for the general public and provides the most up-to-date info on avian influenza.
- Pandemic Preparedness
- Avian Influenza
- WHO Interim Protocol: Rapid Operations to Contain the Initial Emergence of Pandemic Influenza
- Clinical management of human infection with avian influenza A (H5N1) virus
ONLINE RESOURCES
Information:
American Public Health Association
Fact Sheet on Pandemic Influenza: “It’s Not the Flu You’re Used To"
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Avian Influenza
- Avian Influenza Infection in Humans
- Pandemic Influenza for Health Professionals
- Interim Public Health Guidance for the Use of Facemasks and Respirators in Non-Occupational Community Settings during an Influenza Pandemic
- Respiratory Hygiene/Cough Etiquette in Healthcare Settings
National Academies of Sciences
http://www.nas.edu (Search for “pandemic influenza” to access multiple reports.)
World Health Organization
Tools:
Sample Pandemic Influenza Virulent Infectious Disease Protocol for EMS
- The “Sample Pandemic Influenza Virulent Infectious Disease Protocol” and “Dynamic System Severity Score” are for illustrative purposes only. This document is one example of how resources may be evaluated and reallocated within the system during an influenza pandemic. Whenever possible, a patient should be managed as clinically appropriate as possible, regardless of their case status. Download Sample Pandemic Influenza Virulent Infectious Disease Protocol for EMS.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- FluAid is a test version of software created by programmers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It is designed to assist state and local level planners in preparing for the next influenza pandemic by providing estimates of potential impact specific to their locality. Learn more and download software.
- FluSurge is a spreadsheet-based model which provides hospital administrators and public health officials estimates of the surge in demand for hospital-based services during the next influenza pandemic. Learn more and download software.
- CDC Public Health Information Rapid Exchange (PHIRE)