Indonesia Working On Pandemic Plan

 

# 1870

 

 

This report, from Reuters, gives precious few details on exactly what this Indonesian plan, and drill, will entail.   While this  makes it difficult to comment on, the optimist in me sees any plan, and any drill, as being superior to none at all. 

 

Perhaps we will learn more of this plan as time goes by.

 

One statement does stand out, however.  The idea that in a pandemic, 5 million Indonesians could get sick.   I've no idea where they got this number, and I have to wonder if this isn't a misstatement or misprint.  

 

The population of Indonesia is roughly 235 million people.  Five million infected would be an attack rate of just over 2%, which is far below most estimates I've seen (range 20%-35%). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Indonesia set bird flu pandemic plan

Apr 14, 2008 9:18 PM

 

Indonesia, which has the highest death toll from bird flu of any country, will launch a plan later this week to deal with a possible influenza pandemic.

 

Heru Setijanto, head of surveillance and monitoring at the national commission for bird flu control, said the plan would be followed up a week later by a three-day pandemic simulation involving several villages on the resort island of Bali.

 

In the case of a pandemic, an estimated 5 million Indonesians could be infected with the virus, he said, adding that of those infected, between 5 and 10%would die.

 

"In such a situation, hundreds of thousands would die," Setijanto said, "and hospitals would be not able to accommodate all patients."

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