Pandemic plan takes four-pronged approach
Surveillance, medical stockpiles, surge capacity
The pandemic influenza plan recently unveiled by the Department of Health and Human Services specifies four major components of preparedness and response to pandemic influenza:
- Intensifying surveillance and collaborating on containment measures — both international and domestic;
- Stockpiling of antivirals and vaccines and working with industry to expand capacity for production of these medical countermeasures;
- Creating a seamless network of federal, state, and local preparedness, including increasing health care surge capacity;
- Developing the public education and communications efforts so critical to keeping the public informed.
The $7.1 billion national strategic plan includes $6.7 billion in additional 2006 appropriations for the HHS. Approximately $4.7 billion would go toward investments in creating vaccine production capacity and stockpiles, $1.4 billion to stockpile antiviral drugs, and $555 million for surveillance, public health infrastructure, and communications, including $100 million for state and local preparedness.
The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology applauded the plan, saying it may help bolster surge capacity in the nation’s hospitals and public health infrastructures. "This is an excellent opportunity to provide new money to help state and local entities build their capacities to expand beyond normal services so that they can meet the increased demand for qualified personnel, medical care, surveillance, and other activities in the event of a pandemic or other large-scale public health emergencies or disasters," APIC said in a statement.
Infection control measures
The pandemic plan includes the following infection control recommendations for hospitals and any other setting where people with pandemic influenza might seek and receive health care services:
- Limit contact between infected and noninfected people.
- Isolate infected people (i.e., confine patients to a defined area as appropriate for the health care setting).
- Limit contact between nonessential personnel and other people (e.g., social visitors) and patients who are ill with pandemic influenza.
- Promote spatial separation in common areas (i.e., sit or stand as far away as possible — at least 3 feet — from potentially infectious people) to limit contact between symptomatic and nonsymptomatic people.
- Protect persons caring for influenza patients in health care settings from contact with the pandemic influenza virus.
- People who must be in contact with patients should:
- Wear a surgical or procedure mask for close contact with infectious patients.
- Use contact and airborne precautions, including the use of N95 respirators, when appropriate.
- Wear gloves (gown if necessary) for contact with respiratory secretions.
- Perform hand hygiene after contact with infectious patients.
- Contain infectious respiratory secretions:
- Instruct people who have "flulike" symptoms to use respiratory hygiene/cough etiquette.
- Promote use of masks by symptomatic persons in common areas (e.g., waiting rooms in physician offices or emergency departments) or when being transported (e.g., in emergency vehicles).
(Editor’s note: The complete HHS pandemic plan can be found on-line at www.pandemicflu.gov.)
The pandemic influenza plan recently unveiled by the Department of Health and Human Services specifies four major components of preparedness and response to pandemic influenza:You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
- Award-winning Medical Content
- Latest Advances & Development in Medicine
- Unbiased Content