Pandemic flu
Pandemic flu is not seasonal flu.
An influenza (flu) pandemic is a worldwide event in which many people are infected with a flu virus in a short time.
The World Health Organisation considers an outbreak to be a pandemic when:
The infection hasn’t been seen before and there is no natural immunity and spreads easily from person to person.
A flu pandemic can occur at any time. A pandemic can occur in waves, possibly weeks or months apart. Each wave may last 15 weeks and up to half the population could be directly affected
5 Ways you can
Prepare for a flu pandemic
1
Keep a stock of ‘over the counter’ medications for cold and flu
2
Be aware of your workplace arrangements
3
Know the arrangements for your child/children’s school(s)
4
Have your doctor’s phone number to hand
5
Call NHS 111 for general advice.
Pandemic flu
How your Local Resilience Forum is reducing risk?
We’ve worked together to agree roles and responsibilities in the event of a pandemic flu occurrence. This planning links to the World Health Organisation’s trigger levels and will allow us to respond effectively together, should the risk occur.
Arrangements are in place to consider any risk which might result in excess deaths, including pandemics.
NHS England-South take the lead locally for understanding and planning for this risk and ensuring the wider partners in the Local Resilience Forum, such as police, local authorities and fire services understand the risk and the potential impacts on their services.
