HHS Pandemic Influenza Plan

Visit PandemicFlu.gov for one-stop access to U.S. Government avian and pandemic flu information. HHS is responsible for Pandemic Influenza Planning, outlined below.

The links listed below were active as of October 2005. However, because Web sites can change without notice, no site can be guaranteed active or accurate indefinitely.

U.S. Government

Nongovernmental Organizations

Influenza background information

CDC – Presents information on the symptoms, treatment, and complications of the disease, prevention and control, the types of influenza viruses, questions and answers on symptoms, vaccination and myths. www.cdc.gov/flu

National Vaccine Program Office – Presents a historical overview of pandemics that occurred throughout the past century (Spanish Flu, Asian Flu, Hong Kong Flu), and three influenza scares (Swine Flu, Russian Flu, and Avian Flu). www.hhs.gov/nvpo/pandemics

World Health Organization – Defines an influenza pandemic, explains how a new influenza virus can cause a pandemic, presents the consequences of an influenza pandemic, explains the global surveillance systems, and provides links to other pandemic plans from other nations. www.who.int/csr/disease/influenza/pandemic/en

Additional response resources

HRSA Bioterrorism and Emergency Preparedness Grants and Cooperative Agreements – Provides information about HRSA programs for bioterrorism and emergency preparedness activities available for state and local jurisdictions. www.hrsa.gov/bioterrorism

The Public Health Preparedness and Response Capacity Inventory – Provides a resource for state and local health departments undertaking comprehensive assessments of their preparedness to respond to bioterrorism, outbreaks of infectious disease, or other public health threats and emergencies. www.dhs.ca.gov/epo/PDF/NPSsmpxv1.pdf

CDC Cooperative Agreements on Public Health Preparedness – Provide funding to state and local public health jurisdictions for preparedness for and response to bioterrorism, other outbreaks of infectious diseases, and other public health threats and emergencies. www.bt.cdc.gov/planning/continuationguidance

Epidemic Information Exchange – Provides a secure, web-based communications network for information exchange among CDC, state and local health departments, and other public health professionals. www.cdc.gov/mmwr/epix/epix.html

Centers for Public Health Preparedness– A national system for competency-based training tools for the public health workforce. www.asph.org/acphp

Strategic National Stockpile – Provides information on the availability and rapid deployment of life-saving pharmaceuticals, antidotes, other medical supplies, and equipment necessary to counter the effects of nerve agents, biological pathogens, and chemical agents. www.bt.cdc.gov/stockpile

Smallpox Response Plan and Guidelines (Version 3.0) – Presents the most current criteria for implementation of CDC mallpox response plan, notification procedures for suspected smallpox cases, CDC and state/local responsibilities and action in the event of a smallpox outbreak, vaccine mobilization and deployment, and CDC personnel mobilization and deployment. www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/smallpox/response-plan

FDA, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research – Discussion of influenza vaccines and related information. www.fda.gov/cber/flu/flu.htm

FDA, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research – Discussion of influenza antiviral drugs and related information. www.fda.gov/cder/drug/antivirals/influenza