First post-2009 national pandemic plan published in Europe? UK Pandemic Preparedness Strategy 2011Archived

The United Kingdom has recently published a new influenza pandemic strategy for consultation with key stakeholders. The consultation runs to June 2011 and is the last stage before formal adoption.  This may be the first pandemic plan published in Europe that takes into account the lessons from the 2009 pandemic. 

The new strategy is stated to have taken into account many of the lessons learnt from the 2009 pandemic as well as recent scientific evidence (see Underpinning Evidence Base components below).  The aim is to ensure that the UK plans are robust in the face of both a mild and a more severe pandemic.  Published by the Department of Health and the Cabinet Office in London the Strategy covers the whole of the UK having been developed jointly across the four nations (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. There has been input with other professional, NHS, social care and public health organisations, and the document is based on advice from clinical, scientific and other experts.

This strategy describes proposals for an updated, UK-wide strategic approach to planning for and responding to the demands of an influenza pandemic. It supersedes, the earlier approach set out in the 2007 National Pandemic Framework for responding to a pandemic.  Of particular interest across Europe are detailed accounts of the science underpinning the proposals  which have been published as a series of 14 separate free-standing documents (see Underpinning Evidence Base components below).   

There are a number of key changes to the previous Pandemic Framework (2007), reflecting the lessons learned following the A(H1N1)2009 influenza pandemic and the recommendations of the UK National Independent Review (the Hine Report) and other national and international reports.  

Chief needs among the changes specified by the strategy are the following:      

• Development of better plans for the initial response to a new influenza pandemic, when the focus should be on rapid and accurate assessment of the nature of the influenza virus and its effects, both clinically and in relation to wider public health implications. By implication less emphasis should be on trying to contain a pandemic.
• Plans to ensure a response that is in proportion to a range of scenarios to meet the differing demands of pandemic influenza viruses of milder and more severe impact, rather than just focusing on the “worst case” planning assumptions.
• Taking greater account of differences in the rate and pattern of spread of the disease across the UK and internationally.
• Taking better account of the learning from behavioural scientists about how people are likely to think, feel and behave during an influenza pandemic.
• Developing better plans for managing the end of an influenza pandemic – the recovery phase and preparation for subsequent seasonal influenza outbreaks.  

It     It should be noted that that these changes have not been made. They are only recommended in the new Strategy and remain to be implemented once the Strategy has been agreed.Underpinning Evidence Base components (list of links):

• Scientific summary of pandemic influenza and its mitigation
• Routes of transmission of the influenza virus
• Use of antivirals in an influenza pandemic
• Use of antibiotics in an influenza pandemic
• Use of vaccines against pandemic influenza
• Use of facemasks and respirators in an influenza pandemic
• Impact of school closure on an influenza pandemic
• Impact of mass gatherings on an influenza pandemic
• Demographic and attitudinal determinants of protective behaviours during a pandemic
• Healthcare workers willingness to work during a pandemic
• Factors associated with uptake of vaccination against pandemic influenza
• Respiratory and hand hygiene in an influenza pandemic Principles of effective communication
• Evaluation of he National Pandemic Flu Service (Call lines for case management and distribution of antivirals)

The complete strategy is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/review-of-the-evidence-base-…;

ECDC is assembling a listing of post-2009 pandemic  plans / strategies / frameworks from European Countries and would welcome details of these. There is already a comprehensive listing of evaluations of the 2009 pandemic response. As far as ECDC is aware the UK is the first post pandemic plan to be published in Europe.  Please send links and details of other plans to influenza@ecdc.europa.eu