US still vulnerable to pandemic flu outbreak
By Matt Korade, CQ Staff
Congressional Quarterly
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WASHINGTON — States are more prepared for super-flu than they were several years ago, but non-health related sectors of the economy remain vulnerable, according to a report by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices.
 ** FILE PHOTO Tricia Lind, left, a volunteer from Colorado Springs, Colo., administers a free flu shot during a statewide mass immunization effort in Monument, Colo., Nov. 2007.(AP Photo/David Zalubowski) |
According to the nonpartisan advocacy group, states have made a number of strides, such as stockpiling medicine in case a new, aggressive strain of influenza, such as bird flu, were to spread through the population. However, the report found that this has come at the expense of other aspects of preparedness, including working with hospitals to increase their capacity to handle a surge of patients.
In addition, if an outbreak of pandemic flu like the one in 1918 were to occur, it would affect all segments of society, the authors wrote. That flu, which is believed to have started in the Midwest, killed nearly 50 million worldwide in a matter months.
The National Governors Association report studied four sectors of the economy: health care, commerce, public safety, and education, and identified five policy areas for improvement. These include:
- Continuity of government. States need to determine if the workforce in charge of critical infrastructure and other key areas will be able to work from home, thus limiting the spread of disease and its impact on the economy.
Education. States should make sure communities understand how and under what circumstances public schools will be closed.
- Government response. States must develop shared situational awareness systems to track the spread of pandemic flu at the local, state and national levels, providing information on the availability of supplies and the governments' response.
- Public information. States must help the public understand what to expect in a pandemic and how best to be prepared -- an increasing concern given the public doubt about the likelihood of such a threat and resulting complacency.
- Private-sector engagement. States should seek input from the private sector to develop policies that ensure coordination with interdependent, private segments of the critical infrastructure as well as educate small businesses.
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