New Pandemic Flu report

The Trust for America's Health released a new report yesterday. The report focuses on lessons from the H1N1 outbreak. "Pandemic Flu: Lessons from the Frontlines" is available at http://healthyamericans.org/reports/?reportid=64

The 10 early lessons learned outlined in the report are:

1. Investments in pandemic planning and stockpiling antiviral medications paid off;
2. Public health departments did not have enough resources to carry out plans;
3. Response plans must be adaptable and science-driven;
4. Providing clear, straightforward information to the public was essential for allaying fears and building trust;
5. School closings have major ramifications for students, parents and employers;
6. Sick leave and policies for limiting mass gatherings were also problematic;
7. Even with a mild outbreak, the health care delivery system was overwhelmed;
8. Communication between the public health system and health providers was not well coordinated;
9. WHO pandemic alert phases caused confusion; and
10. International coordination was more complicated than expected.