College of the Air

QPR Gatekeeper Training for Suicide Prevention

Path to Success with Bob Dunwoody

Pandemic Flu Preparedness Programming

From CDC: Pandemic Flu Preparedness:
The impact of pandemic influenza will be felt in every community by every citizen.  Hospitals will be overwhelmed and pharmaceutical interventions will be in short supply.  Critical infrastructure such as transportation, commerce, utilities, and public safety will be disrupted.  With simultaneous outbreaks occurring over large geographic regions, communities will have to rely on local resources and coordinate their preparedness activities across all sectors.  Networks and relationships have to be established to communicate and manage the risks, now and during the pandemic.  This program will examine the case of California’s Santa Clara County, where the community is preparing for a pandemic that will challenge their public health system and affect every aspect of their daily life.

Objectives:

• Identify two methods for community surveillance. 
• Identify two non-pharmaceutical interventions.  
• Describe the importance of medical care preparedness.
• Describe the importance of coordinating preparedness across sectors.
• Describe two risk communication strategies. 

From ADPH/dl-nets: Are You Ready? Be Prepared for a Pandemic Flu Outbreak

An influenza pandemic occurs when a new virus emerges for which people have little or no immunity, and for which there is no vaccine.  The disease spreads easily from person-to-person, causes serious illness, and can sweep across the country and around the world in a very short time.  While it is difficult to predict when the next influenza pandemic will occur, during the past 100 years, there have been three major pandemics: 1918-1919, 1957-1958, and 1968-1969.  

An especially severe influenza pandemic could lead to high levels of illness, death, social disruption and economic loss.  Everyday life would be disrupted because so many people in so many places would be seriously ill at the same time.  Impacts can range from school and business closings to the interruption of basic services such as public transportation, food delivery, and healthcare.  These potential effects of a pandemic can be minimized.  Preparedness planning includes education, the development of agency response plans and the use of personal and family checklists for various sectors of society.  These advanced planning steps will enable proper procedures to be implemented when an outbreak occurs. 

Objectives:

1. Educate employees on the possibility of a pandemic influenza.
2. Identify infection control measures to be able to minimize the spread of influenza.
3. Review the main components of an individual and family pandemic influenza preparedness checklist.
4. Discuss home care instructions during a pandemic.
5. Review over-the-counter medicines that might be needed during a pandemic.
6. Explain anti-viral drugs, vaccines and contraindications.
7. Review updated Strategic National Stockpile Plan which includes vaccines.
8. Describe the Operation Plan during an emergency.

From ADPH/dl-nets: Pandemic Flu Planning and Execution For Law Enforcement Response  

A flu pandemic is a global outbreak of the flu. During a flu pandemic the disease spreads quickly from person to person, affecting many people in a short period of time.  Influenza is caused by a virus, which infects the nose, throat and lungs.  The infection can range from mild to life-threatening and can lead to dangerous complications, such as pneumonia or dehydration and can also make chronic problems worse.  

There are many flu viruses, and they continually change and usually the changes are slow and predictable.  But if a flu virus changes a lot, it could result in a new kind of flu.  Nobody would be immune to the new virus, so everybody would be at risk.  If this new virus becomes able to spread easily between people, a pandemic could occur.  Pandemic flu is not the same as seasonal flu.  Seasonal flu generally strikes fewer people and seasonal flu can be prevented by getting a yearly flu shot.  Seasonal flu puts fewer people at risk for fatal complications.  

In the event of a pandemic outbreak, it is estimated that millions could become ill in the U.S.  If the pandemic is severe, it could kill almost 2 million people in the U.S. and if it is mild, an estimated 200,000 people could die.  What would happen to the criminal justice system in the event of a pandemic?  

e. Objectives: 

1. Define Pandemic Influenza.
2. Describe the difference between Avian Flu, the Pandemic Flu, and the yearly seasonal flu.
3. Define law enforcement’s role in a pandemic within the agriculture community.
4. Discuss the role of law enforcement during a pandemic.
5. Discuss the importance of personal protective equipment (PPE) to the law enforcement responder.
6. Define steps in law enforcement planning for a pandemic.

From CDC/dl-nets: Pandemic Flu: Progress in Planning and Exercising Federal, State & Local Perspectives      

During National Public Health Week 2007, the American Public Health Association, its members, and its partners will host events throughout the country encouraging citizens, especially vulnerable populations, to “Take the First Step” towards preparing for public health threats. In conjunction with APHA NPHW, COTPER is hosting a satellite broadcast to promote pandemic influenza preparedness and response capacity.

e.  Objectives:  Upon successful completion of the program, participants will be able to:

• Increase state and local preparedness partners' awareness and knowledge of innovative methods to implement and exercise pandemic influenza preparedness activities.
• Provide guidance in developing implementing, communicating, and evaluating pandemic influenza preparedness activities.

From CPHP/dl-nets Engaging the Public In Pandemic Flu Planning        

Public health professionals responsible for pandemic flu planning are working at a distinct disadvantage.  While the public is the object of their concern, strategies and plans are being developed without directly involving the public.  Building on findings from the Redefining Readiness study and a new community engagement process in the four Redefining Readiness demonstration sites, Dr. Lasker will show how the public's knowledge and perspectives can help public health professionals deal with some of their most vexing challenges.  The study completed in the first phase of Dr Lasker's project "Redefining Readiness" showed that many emergency response plans will not work because people will not react the way planners want them to.  The second phase of the project has carried out local demonstration projects to develop model plans and public engagement practices for more effective terrorism/emergency preparedness planning.  Dr. Lasker will present findings from this project that can be utilized to involve the enormous number of stakeholders that are needed to develop the most effective pandemic flu plans possible.