Pandemic Flu Preparedness:
What Every Community Should Know

globeThe impact of pandemic influenza will be felt in every community by every citizen.  Hospitals will be overwhelmed and pharmaceutical interventions will be in short supply.  Critical infrastructure such as transportation, commerce, utilities, and public safety will be disrupted. 

With simultaneous outbreaks occurring over large geographic regions, communities will have to rely on local resources and coordinate their preparedness activities across all sectors.  Networks and relationships have to be established to communicate and manage the risks, now and during the pandemic. 

This program will examine the case of California’s Santa Clara County, where the community is preparing for a pandemic that will challenge their public health system and affect every aspect of their daily life.

Goal

This program will seek to increase awareness of the local, state, and federal response to pandemic influenza and steps communities should take to prepare.  

Objectives

  • Identify two methods for community surveillance. 
  • Identify two non-pharmaceutical interventions.  
  • Describe the importance of medical care preparedness.
  • Describe the importance of coordinating preparedness across sectors.
  • Describe two risk communication strategies. 

Target Audience

Public health leaders, managers, and professionals from local and state health departments, boards of health, hospitals, public and private clinics, community-based health organizations, academic institutions, federal agencies, and others who wish to learn more about pandemic influenza and strategies for community preparedness.