# 3328
So far, the message and the tone coming out of the CDC and the HHS about the H1N1 threat has been just about right.
They’ve let us know – for weeks – that they take the pandemic threat seriously, that they are concerned how this virus may change over time, and they’ve wisely made no promises regarding the availability of a vaccine.
The CDC press conferences, in particular, have been informative, measured, and science based. I give Dr. Richard Besser and Dr. Anne Schuchat very high marks.
Much of the credit has to go to those who have worked, often in the background, on our nation’s pandemic planning for the past 3 or 4 years under the leadership of former HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt.
The United States, along with a handful of other countries (the UK, Japan, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia among them) have been preparing seriously for the next pandemic since about 2005.
And so these nations (and many others) already had a pandemic playbook, albeit designed for a more severe bird flu, to follow.
I’ve no doubt, that without the planning, preparation, and pandemic drills of the past 4 years, we’d have been caught flat footed and devastatingly unprepared by this virus.
Some of the positives that came from this planning includes:
- States and local governments already had in place protocols for collecting and shipping virus samples to the CDC.
- Many schools had already considered the possibility of pandemic-related dismissals.
- Public officials were already familiar with the concept of using NPI’s (Non Pharmaceutical Interventions) and other interventions to slow the spread of the virus.
- And most importantly, vaccine manufacturing capacity has been bolstered, and new technologies funded, over the past few years.
We still aren’t able to produce enough vaccine, quick enough. But we are much further along than we were 4 years ago.
And for that, you have to thank the people who have worked on pandemic preparedness, on the local, state, and federal levels over the past few years.
I have some quibbles, of course (what blogger doesn’t?)
I feel the `personal preparedness’ message has been lost over the past month, probably because officials feared inciting a run on supplies at the store during a time of increased concern.
It was one thing to urge that everyone get two-weeks of emergency supplies in place before a crisis, quite another to do so after a crisis had begun (see The Stockpiling Dilemma).
Over this summer, I am in hopes that once the HHS is assured that Americans aren’t overly panicked by the prospect of this pandemic (and they aren’t), they will begin to ramp up the personal and community preparedness message.
By stressing that we have several months before the next flu season hits, and recommending `reasonable’ levels of preparedness (at least 1 to 2 weeks), it should be possible to inspire the public to prepare, without instilling fear or inciting panic.
H1N1, for now, looks to be a moderate (or hopefully even mild) pandemic strain, but scientists say that could change.
We, quite frankly, have no idea how this virus will interact with other flu strains, and what mutations we might see over the next year or two.
And despite the lack of interest by most mainstream media outlets, the H5N1 bird flu virus threat has not abated.
We live in a world filled with threats.
Whether it is in preparation for a potentially severe flu season, or the next hurricane, earthquake, flood, or tornado . . . people need to be prepared to deal with a disaster.
If you have not done so, go to Ready.gov.
Get A Kit, Make A Plan, and Be Informed.
We have what is commonly called, a `teachable moment’.
A brief point in time where events have captured the attention of at least part of the public, and they may be more receptive to the preparedness message than normal.
We should not squander it.
By using the proper tone – and delivering the right message – we can increase our nation’s level of preparedness.
And that can only pay dividends during the next disaster.
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