According to the U.S. government’s and the United Nation’s health agencies, an influenza pandemic is statistically likely to occur in the near future. Such an event has the potential to produce a substantial rise in illness and death among the world’s population, to overwhelm our health care systems, and to have potentially catastrophic effects on business and commerce.

Implementing a Plan

Once a pandemic occurs, it is too late for a business to create and implement an effective response plan, so developing a plan in advance will be critical for companies, and potentially critical for the containment of the advancing pandemic. No one can predict when an influenza pandemic will occur; only that it will.

Situations and recommendations will change depending on the strength and strain of the influenza virus, the availability of vaccinations, and the success rate of antiviral medication. There are many resources available, and we suggest that you visit the following Web sites:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• World Health Organization
• www.flu.gov (Know What to Do about the Flu)
• Department of Health and Human Services
• U. S. Food and Drug Administration
• U. S. Chamber of Commerce
• Your local Department of Public Health