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Is the UK prepared for pandemic flu?
May 11, 2007Giving local authorities responsibility for implementing pandemic flu plans may not be the best policy, says a senior public health doctor in this week's BMJ.
He warns that, in the event of a pandemic, much of the planning could be redundant.
In the worse case scenario, a pandemic of influenza in the United Kingdom would cause 750,000 excess deaths and cost around £170bn in the longer term, writes Dr Richard Coker of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
In March, a new draft plan for pandemic flu was published, setting out the government's strategic approach to limit the domestic spread of a pandemic and minimise harms to health, the economy, and society.
It deals with several previously neglected areas, such as transport and international policy, education and social mixing, drug interventions, and communications. It also makes clear the primary responsibility for planning and responding to any major emergency rests with local organisations.
But the author questions whether timely and effective implementation in a time of crisis can be achieved under a devolved system and whether the documents offer enough guidance for local planners on issues such as how to allocate scarce resources.
Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) taught us that "there should be clarity established beforehand, as to what decisions are taken at what level and by whom during an epidemic," he writes. Government guidance also states that "all organisations and individuals that might have a role to play in emergency response and recovery should be properly prepared and be clear about their roles and responsibilities."
Yet concern persists at local level that current plans for pandemic flu in the UK do not take account of what we have learnt from the experience with SARs.
Ultimately, it will be a remarkable achievement if devolved-operational authority is successful, he says. History suggests that the political imperative in a national (indeed global) crisis will be to centralise strategic and operational authority. If this happens then much of the planning could be redundant and an alternative approach might be needed.
BMJ-British Medical Journal
In March, a new draft plan for pandemic flu was published, setting out the government's strategic approach to limit the domestic spread of a pandemic and minimise harms to health, the economy, and society.
It deals with several previously neglected areas, such as transport and international policy, education and social mixing, drug interventions, and communications. It also makes clear the primary responsibility for planning and responding to any major emergency rests with local organisations.
But the author questions whether timely and effective implementation in a time of crisis can be achieved under a devolved system and whether the documents offer enough guidance for local planners on issues such as how to allocate scarce resources.
Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) taught us that "there should be clarity established beforehand, as to what decisions are taken at what level and by whom during an epidemic," he writes. Government guidance also states that "all organisations and individuals that might have a role to play in emergency response and recovery should be properly prepared and be clear about their roles and responsibilities."
Yet concern persists at local level that current plans for pandemic flu in the UK do not take account of what we have learnt from the experience with SARs.
Ultimately, it will be a remarkable achievement if devolved-operational authority is successful, he says. History suggests that the political imperative in a national (indeed global) crisis will be to centralise strategic and operational authority. If this happens then much of the planning could be redundant and an alternative approach might be needed.
BMJ-British Medical Journal
Pandemic Current Events and Pandemic News RSSAsthma a significant risk factor for complications in children with H1N1
A new study on pediatric H1N1 influenza admissions has found that asthma is a significant risk factor for severe disease in children with pandemic H1N1 compared with the seasonal flu.
Preventing H1N1 spread to health care workers: Dilemma, debate and confusion
A commentary in the December issue of The Lancet Infectious Diseases brings to light the gaps in knowledge on the transmission of a common pathogen - the influenza virus - and its impact on decisions about how best to protect health care workers.
New culprit for viral infections among elderly -- an overactive immune response
Researchers at Yale School of Medicine have found that exaggerated responses of the immune system explain why the elderly succumb to viral infections more readily than younger people.
New research helps explain why bird flu has not caused a pandemic
Bird flu viruses would have to make at least two simultaneous genetic mutations before they could be transmitted readily from human to human, according to research published today in PLoS ONE.
Mechanical ventilation for patients with lung damage don't always work as planned
As more Canadians are diagnosed with H1N1 influenza infection, some will be admitted to hospital. The most severely affected may be treated in the intensive care unit (ICU) and placed on a mechanical ventilator to help them breathe while they recover from the infection.
90 percent of Africans are not protected by smoke-free laws
As African nations are poised to undergo the highest increase in the rate of tobacco use among developing countries, nearly 90 percent of people on the continent remain without meaningful protection from secondhand smoke, according to a new report released at a regional cancer conference today.
Researchers mobilizing global resources to test new treatments for severe H1N1 infection
An important, ground-breaking initiative is unfolding in the global critical care community in response to the H1N1 pandemic.
New Synthetic Molecules Trigger Immune Response to HIV and Prostate Cancer
Researchers at Yale University have developed synthetic molecules capable of enhancing the body's immune response to HIV and HIV-infected cells, as well as to prostate cancer cells. Their findings, published online in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, could lead to novel therapeutic approaches for these diseases.
When should flu trigger a school shutdown?
As flu season approaches, parents around the country are starting to face school closures. But how bad should an influenza outbreak be for a school to shut down?
Sneezing in times of a flu pandemic
The swine flu (H1N1) pandemic has received extensive media coverage this year. The World Health Organization, in addition to providing frequent updates about cases of infection and death tolls, recommends hyper vigilance in daily hygiene such as frequent hand washing or sneezing into the crook of our arms.
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