title: Seasonal and pandemic influenza: recommendations for preparedness in the United States.
abstract: There is a continued need to improve the state of preparedness for a potential influenza pandemic in the United States despite the publication of a pandemic influenza plan by the Department of Health and Human Services. Of particular importance are the sense of urgency for a coordinated response plan, an allocation of adequate funds to deal with this issue, and the need for a national leader to coordinate the development and execution of a national plan, including its relationship to the control of seasonal influenza. In addition, an infrastructure needs to be established in the United States to enable the rapid development and large-scale production of a safe and effective vaccine for new influenza strains; methods to treat influenza pneumonia need to be evaluated; a coordinated public health response needs to be defined; a nationally developed blueprint to deal with logistics of pandemic prevention is required; and there is a need to establish reliable communication systems on a national and local basis, to provide accurate information to the lay public, health care workers, and the agricultural sector.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35233-1711, USA. rwhitley@peds.uab.edu
authors.forename: Richard J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Whitley
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bartlett
authors.forename: Frederick G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Hayden
authors.forename: Andrew T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Pavia
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tapper
authors.forename: Arnold S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Monto
mesh_terms: D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000600:supply & distribution; D003142:Communication; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005376:Financial Management; D006285:Health Planning / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000600:supply & distribution; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000150:complications / Q000191:economics / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011024:Pneumonia, Viral / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D011322:Primary Prevention; D012621:Seasons; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D007252:Influenza Vaccines