Pandemic Flu Preparedness: Working Together to Prepare Now

04/18/08
Preparing for a pandemic influenza outbreak involves everybody. The threat of pandemic influenza is real, and America needs leadership from respected community members to prepare our towns and cities, reduce the impact of pandemic flu on individuals and families, and reduce or even prevent serious damage to the economy.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other public health experts agree that it is not a question of IF a pandemic will occur, but WHEN it will occur. If America is not adequately prepared, pandemic flu could seriously affect everyone economically.

Government alone can’t prepare the nation for pandemic flu; this challenge requires your help. As a leader in your community, you can play a powerful role in encouraging your employees, patients, and members and others whom you represent to prepare by providing information and guidance and by preparing yourself.

The Take the Lead: Working Together to Prepare Now toolkit, www.pandemicflu.gov/takethelead/index.html was developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control along with input from community leaders. It is designed to provide you or your organization with key information and tools to help you understand the threat of a pandemic and prepare for it now.

This toolkit provides the following:

  • Information for you about pandemic flu
  • Ready-to-use and ready-to-tailor resources prepared by HHS and CDC
  • Ideas and materials to encourage your organization to prepare and to encourage other leaders to get involved
  • Outreach materials such as sample newsletter articles and templates that can be tailored for your activities

Pandemic preparedness efforts are an important part of community leadership. We thank you for joining community leaders across the Nation in taking steps to ensure America’s health and prosperity in the 21st century. In addition to involvement in this government effort, ANA continues to represent nursing at many policy making tables to discuss pandemic preparedness and the role of registered nurses in responding. ANA has been actively involved in policy discussions related to the prioritization of pandemic influenza vaccine; clarifying the level of respiratory protection necessary to protect health care professionals during a pandemic event; and identifying strategies for building surge capacity within the health care system to meet the significantly increased demand that pandemic event would place on the system.

ANA has also partnered with the Trust For America’s Health to educate registered nurses about pandemic influenza and how it differs from the annual influenza season. An educational brochure on pandemic influenza, It’s Not Flu As Usual: What the Nursing Community Needs to Know About Pandemic Influenza, is available (see below).

Also, to view the Pandemic Flu Take the Lead Campaign ad with Rebecca M. Patton, President, American Nurses Association and Dr. Ronald M. Davis, President, American Medical Association. See ad below.