Pandemic Plan

CIDRAP to hold business pandemic prep summit

2009-08-28T20:55:00-05:00

The Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) at the University of Minnesota is conducting another summit on pandemic preparedness for businesses on September 22 and 23 in Minneapolis. From the summit's announcement: It's not too late to get some very crucial and practical preparedness planning completed and implemented in your organization. But time is of the essence. No...

Europe anticipates surge in swine flu; triggered by schools?

2009-08-28T20:15:00-05:00

From Reuters: Health authorities across Europe are bracing for a third of their populations to become infected with the new swine flu virus this autumn, but do not plan to close schools or take other drastic measures to stop it. Instead, they plan to educate people about hygiene, get vaccines out as soon as possible, and hope the H1N1 pandemic...

WHO: Asia is way short of H1N1 swine flu vaccine

2009-08-25T20:57:00-05:00

Asia is going to be way short of the new H1N1 vaccine to fight swine flu when the next surge of infections hits during the cold season this year, a spokesman for the World Health Organization (WHO) has told Reuters. "Nowhere is ready ... there is going to be massive underproduction of vaccines as compared to the needs and demand,"...

The pandemic and the economy

2009-08-23T14:34:00-05:00

From an article in the Dallas (TX) Morning News regarding the impact of the recession on pandemic planning: The question of whether North Texas is prepared for a possible onslaught of H1N1 flu is inextricably linked to the state of the American economy. In an era of continuous cost cutting, is your bank going to spring for bottles of hand...

U.S. tells businesses, let workers with flu STAY HOME

2009-08-19T23:40:00-05:00

U.S. officials Wednesday repeated for the jillionth time some key guidelines for how businesses should respond to the H1N1 swine flu pandemic. Highlights: ENCOURAGE employees with the flu to STAY HOME at the first sign of illness. It's best for the worker; it's best for co-workers. Don't request written doctor's excuses. That just further burdens a healthcare system that will...

ER Depts unsettled about possible severe flu complications

2009-08-19T22:31:00-05:00

Writer Maryn McKenna, who writes feature news stories and is authoring a book about drug-resistant staph (methicillin-resistant Staph aureus or MRSA), says another person has died of a combination of H1N1 flu and MRSA pneumonia. She notes that MRSA pneumonia is a known and dangerous complication of any flu infection. Then Maryn adds this side observation, based on interviews of...

38 pct of UK companies expect revenue loss from pandemic

2009-08-19T21:55:00-05:00

Reuters reports on a survey of 429 small and medium-sized UK businesses by law firm Eversheds: In all, 72 percent of employers reported they had experienced swine flu absenteeism and 38 percent anticipated sales would be hit. One in five also said they expected to have to close or partially close premises... Although most people have experienced only mild to...

CIDRAP Aug 25 Webinar, H1N1 Corporate Prep

2009-08-18T21:52:00-05:00

I've been notified that The Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) at the University of Minnesota is hosting a live Webinar August 25 (12:00 p.m. EDT) entitled, "Corporate Preparedness for H1N1: How pressure-tested planners are bracing now for fall." The announcement of the Webinar summarizes: With barely a break in the action, pandemic planners once again are facing...

More details on slower roll-out of pandemic flu vaccine

2009-08-17T22:36:00-05:00

The Associated Press has more details on the much slower-than-expected delivery of swine flu vaccines. As reported earlier, the U.S. won't have nearly as much swine flu vaccine ready by mid-October as long predicted - 45 million doses instead of the anticipated 120 million. About 20 million more doses will be shipped weekly until the government reaches the full 195...

Officials lower estimates for initial amount of pandemic flu vaccine

2009-08-14T20:54:00-05:00

During a pandemic H1N1 planning update today, federal officials dialed back the number of novel flu vaccine doses they expect in October from 120 million to 45 million, listing several reasons for the smaller projection. The University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy (CIDRAP) reports that in late July, authorities projected that 120 million doses would be...