Influenza Pandemic Preparation and Response: A Citizen's Guide
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How long could this last?
A pandemic can last up to 2 years; locally, communities could be affected by several waves lasting 6 to 8 weeks each.
What else do I need to know?
- During a severe influenza pandemic, individuals, families, and neighborhoods will likely be on their own and should not count on aid from other communities.
Healthcare systems will be overwhelmed, and routine public services will be unavailable.
- Owing to widespread effects upon society and the toll on human life, some people may experience panic and fear based on lack of informed preparation.
- Skilled workers will be needed; they will be those serving their communities.
- Volunteer response workers will be invaluable resources in maintaining continuity in community services.
Flu vaccines usalluy do contain thimerosal; they are basically the only vaccines that still do. From the CDC website: "Today, all routinely recommended licensed pediatric vaccines that are currently being manufactured for the U.S. market, with the exception of influenza vaccine, contain no thimerosal or only trace amounts."Some flu vaccines are thimerosal-free, and it seems that thimerosal-free (or trace thimerosal) vaccines are becoming more and more common - but I wouldn't assume the new H1N1 vaccines would be thimerosal-free.I think vaccinating in schools for something like this is a good idea: since flu is so seasonal, and most people go to the doctor only once a year, if your checkup happens to be at the wrong time of year you can miss the window for getting the vaccine. I would bet many children miss flu vaccines for this reason - how many parents are going to feel it's worthwhile to do a whole trip to the doctor just for a flu shot?
??Any community that fails to prepare and expects the federal government will come to the rescue is tragically wrong.??
— Michael O. Leavitt, Secretary of Health and Human Services at Pandemic Influenza Summit in Baltimore, MD
A Brief Pandemic History
Influenza pandemics have been recorded for at least 300 years and occur at unpredictable intervals.
- In the 20th century, there were three pandemics: 1918-1919, 1957-1958, and 1968-1969. Historians have estimated that Spanish influenza killed between 50 and 100 million people worldwide in 1918-1919.
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More people throughout the world died from influenza than were killed in World War I. In fact, more Americans died from the Spanish influenza than in all of the wars of the 20th century combined.
- 0.64% of the U.S. population, or approximately 675,000 people, died from infection during 1918 & 1919.
- The strain was unusual for influenza in that this pandemic killed many young adults and otherwise healthy people.
- People were sometimes struck suddenly with illness and within hours were too feeble to walk; many died the next day.
- Symptoms included a blue tint to the face (due to insufficient oxygen) and coughing up blood because of severe obstruction of the lungs.
- In fast-progressing cases, most victims died from viral pneumonia. Slower-progressing cases often resulted in death from secondary bacterial pneumonias.
- The pandemic had widespread social effects. There was reduced healthcare capacity because healthcare workers also became sick and were unable to work.
o California Patriot What do they know that we don't? They (some of them) know the names behind this gintiagc takeover bid of this country. I'm convinced tht there is a very powerful entity out there that is fueling this whole movement, and when you start investigating it is scary as heck. Just stop to analyze all that has happened since, and during, the primary election. Do you think for one minute that a knucklehead like Obama, or the nincompoops in the congress have enough wealth or brains to manage this entire rape of the american electorate? No way. It takes a very powerful force to do what has been done here. The congress voted as they were told to do by someone or some group that has enough wealth and power to either frighten or pay off these imbeciles. Every time I think I have the culprit or culprits pinned down another spider enters the web and I am not so sure. One thing that I believe in my soul is that this movement is not just controlled in America but has powerful outside influence from foreign countries.This climate control push is just a small drop in the bucket, but if they are able to push that through your tax dollars will be supporting third world countries in order to bring their standard of living on a par with the US. Although by that time our standard of living will be far below what it is now.One world with the same standard of living throughout, except for the PTB that controls the strings.
Organized4 gatherings were prohibited for fear of spreading the influenza. Quarantines were enforced, but in many cases were not very successful.
One U.S. town even outlawed shaking hands.
- Some public health departments distributed gauze masks to be worn in public.
Stores could not hold sales, and funerals were limited to 15 minutes. Those who ignored the influenza ordinances had to pay steep fines.
Bodies piled up as the massive numbers of deaths occurred. In addition to the lack of healthcare workers and medical supplies, there was a shortage of coffins, morticians, and gravediggers.
- Cities that implemented social distancing in the 1918 outbreak had a much lower incidence of infection spread than cities that did not.
The Pandemic Severity Index5
The Pandemic Severity Index was created in January 2007 to categorize the level of impact a pandemic could have.
The scales are rated based on numbers of deaths that would occur.
The pandemic severity index levels are: (CFR is case fatality rate)
- Category 1, CFR of less than 0.1%(such as seasonal flu)
- Category 2, CFR 0.1% to 0.5% (such as the 1957 and 1968 flu outbreaks)
- Category 3, CFR 0.5% to 1%
- Category 4, CFR 1% to 2%
- Category 5, CFR 2% or higher (such as the 1918 flu)
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that in the United States alone, the next pandemic could cause an estimated 89,000 207,000 deaths, 314,000 734,000 hospitalizations, 18 42 million outpatient visits, and 20 47 million additional illnesses.6
Influenza pandemics have been recorded for at least 300 years and occur at unpredictable intervals.
In the 20th century, there were three pandemics: 1918-1919, 1957-1958, and 1968-1969. The pandemic of 1957 originated in China and the pandemic of 1968 originated in Hong Kong; estimated U.S. deaths from those pandemics were 70,000 and 34,000, respectively.
Nonetheless, today seasonal influenza alone is deemed responsible for about 36,000 deaths in the United States each year. By far, the most hard-hitting pandemic on record was the infamous Spanish influenza, the pandemic of 1918-1919.
The SARS outbreak demonstrated that modern travel patterns may significantly reduce the time needed for a pandemic influenza virus to spread globally to a few months or even weeks.
The major implication of such rapid spread of an infectious disease is that many, if not most, countries will have minimal time to implement preparations and responses once the pandemic virus has begun to spread.
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While SARS infections spread quickly to multiple countries, the epidemiology and transmission modes of the SARS virus greatly helped the ability of public health authorities to contain the spread of this infection in 2003.
Isolation and quarantine, as well as other control measures, were also helpful in containing spread.
Deaths During a Pandemic
A severe pandemic will likely lead to thousands to millions of deaths, disruption of services, economic distress, and social disruption.
Social distancing should be implemented as soon as evidence of an influenza outbreak occurs in your area. Quarantine and isolation orders may be ordered in the best interest of the public and should be taken seriously and obeyed.
Citizens who take responsibility for limiting the spread of the flu by using proper measures to control and prevent transmission of influenza - e.g., by not shaking hands, wearing a mask, frequent hand washing, coughing into their elbows, and limiting their contact to the outside - will be invaluable in helping to prevent transmission of infection to others.