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Biosecurity BriefingHHS Releases Fifth Pandemic Planning Update By Brooke Courtney, March 28, 2008 On March 17, 2008, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued the report, Pandemic Planning Update V.1 The report outlines progress made in U.S. pandemic influenza planning in the areas of monitoring and surveillance, medical countermeasures, state and local preparedness, and communications and outreach. The last update was released on July 18, 2007.2 According to the new update, avian influenza remains highly pathogenic and “continues to play a prominent role in pandemic preparedness.”1 HHS reports that in its planning it is giving highest priority to tasks that “it is best positioned or uniquely able to undertake,” such as:
HHS reports that since the July 2007 update it has increased its efforts to collaborate with and garner thoughts from a wide range of stakeholders, including “State and local officials, public health and medical professionals, religious leaders and ethicists, the business community, organized labor, non-governmental organizations, and individuals from all walks of life.”1 HHS has also used new communication tools, such as webcasts, blogs, large public forums, and conference calls to reach these groups.1 For example, the agency held “its first ever web dialogue to discuss the proposed vaccine allocation plan;” convened meetings throughout the U.S. “to discuss the shared responsibility concept of stockpiling medical countermeasures and the feasibility of private-sector stockpiling of antivirals;” and launched Taking the Lead: Working Together to Prepare Now, “a public education campaign to encourage people to prepare now for a future pandemic.”1 In addition, the report states that the U.S. had stockpiled 13 million courses of pre-pandemic vaccine by the end of 2007 and has invested more than $130 million to date to study adjuvants, which are substances added to vaccines that may increase the magnitude and scope of the immune response.1 Other HHS activities since the last update include launching “The Great Pandemic,” a collection of historical documents about the 1918 pandemic, and holding the first of three state pandemic planning webinars.1 HHS reports that in 2008 it plans to “continue to reach out to stakeholders to shape some of the most difficult pandemic planning issues facing the Nation…Issues to be considered...include proposed vaccine allocation plans, proposed guidance for private-sector stockpiling of antivirals and respirators/facemasks, shared responsibility for medical countermeasures stockpiling, and the importance of individual preparedness.”1 The agency also plans to continue its efforts to include some of the hardest to reach populations, such as the homeless and non-English speakers, in the pandemic planning process and develop appropriate messages for those groups.1 According to HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt, “We don’t know if the H5N1 virus will spark the next pandemic, but we know that it’s just a matter of time before something does…The Federal government cannot mount an effective response to the threats that we face as a nation without partners at every level of government and throughout society.”1 References
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