Pandemic Influenza

Pandemic Influenza : 

Pandemic Influenza Jonathan D. Adams, MD Asst. Professor, Family & Community Medicine Penn State Hershey College of Medicine

Pandemic Influenza : 

Pandemic Influenza Influenza pandemics have occurred on the average every 40 years over the last 400 years. The last pandemics occurred in 1918, 1957, and 1968. The last pandemic occurred 40 years ago. The CDC and WHO concur that we are due or overdue for another pandemic

Pandemic Influenza : 

Pandemic Influenza Pandemic influenzas themselves vary greatly in severity. In a typical year, 10% of the US population is sickened with influenza; in 1918 25% of the population was sickened (25 million out of 105 million.) In a typical year in the U.S., 36,000 deaths occur due to seasonal influenza; during the 1918 Great Influenza 675,000 in the US died..

Pandemic Influenza : 

Pandemic Influenza World-wide, the 1918 pandemic infected over a billion people; over 50 million perished from it. Of all the American soldiers and sailors who died during World War I, 80% died from influenza

Pandemic Influenza : 

Pandemic Influenza The 1918 Flu Pandemic disproportionately infected and killed young and middle-aged adults. 50% of all deaths were between age 20-40.

Pandemic Influenza : 

Pandemic Influenza During most years 1 out of every 1000 infected people in the U.S. die from influenza; a death rate of 0.1%. In 1918, an average of 25 out of every 1000 infected people in the US died, a death rate of 2.5%. Death rates in the rest of the world ranged from 5-100%. In 1918 entire villages and towns were found later to have been wiped out by the influenza. Currently, the avian influenza (bird flu) active in Asia has a death rate of over 60%; the death rate in Indonesia is 85%.

Pandemic Influenza : 

Pandemic Influenza Thus far, the avian influenza virus has not mutated to enable it to be highly transmissible between humans, as happened to the 1918 virus. Human-to-human transfer has occurred, but only within families living in close quarters, and then only rarely.avian The concern is that this or another “bird flu” virus will mutate into an easily transmissible form.

Pandemic Flu : 

Pandemic Flu The 1918 influenza pandemic occurred in 3 waves, each lasting 6-8 weeks over a period of 18 months. During these 6-8 week waves of illness, schools and churches were asked or ordered to close for public health reasons, and did so

Pandemic Influenza : 

Pandemic Influenza The 1918 influenza virus was an avian flu virus, similar to what is now present overseas. The exact strain of virus that will result in the next pandemic is unknown; no definitely effective vaccine can be prepared until the outbreak occurs and the virus is typed.

Pandemic Influenza : 

Pandemic Influenza By current technology, it takes a minimum of 6 months to manufacture sufficient quantities of a vaccine to meet current demand. There is currently not enough manufacturing capacity to make enough vaccine for the expected demand. Two factories are currently under construction in the US to manufacture vaccine using a new cell-culture technique, which will make a new vaccine in 6 weeks.

Pandemic Influenza : 

Pandemic Influenza The civil magistrate has asked for churches such as ours to assist in preparing for the next outbreak of pandemic influenza. Tasks are described at the CDC web-site: http://www.pandemicflu.gov/plan/pdf/faithbaseedcommunitychecklist.pdf Time will tell, but the work may be very great indeed. For further info, Google: Pandemic Flu.

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The collaboration of Faith-Based and Community Organizations with public health agencies will be essential in protecting the public’s health and safety if and when an influenza pandemic occurs. This checklist provides guidance for religious organizations (churches, synagogues, mosques, temples, etc.), social service agencies that are faithbased, and community organizations in developing and improving influenza pandemic response and preparedness plans. Many of the points suggested here can improve your organization’s ability to protect your community during emergencies in general. You can find more information at www.pandemicflu.gov.

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Checklist Sections