Epidemic: Necessary Government Response

Governments need to be watchful of the development of potential pandemics and act accordingly at each stage of a pandemic, seeking international assistance when needed.

The World Health Organization has identified six stages of pandemics and how to act at each phase:

Interpandemic Period

Phase 1: No new influenza virus subtypes have been detected in humans. Governments should "strengthen influenza pandemic preparedness at the global, regional, national and sub-national levels."

Phase 2: No new influenza virus subtypes have been detected in humans, but an animal variant threatens human disease. Governments should "minimize the risk of transmission to humans; detect and report such transmissions rapidly if it occurs."

Pandemic alert period

Phase 3: Human infection(s) with a new subtype but no human-to-human spread. Governments need to "ensure rapid characterization of the new virus subtype and early detection, notification and response to additional cases."

Phase 4: Small cluster(s) with limited localized human-to-human transmission. Governments should "contain the new virus within limited foci or delay spread to gain time to implement preparedness measures, including vaccine development."

Phase 5: Larger cluster(s) but human-to-human spread still localized. Governments should "maximize efforts to contain or delay spread, to possibly avert a pandemic, and to gain time to implement pandemic response measures."

Pandemic period:

Phase 6: Pandemic and increased and sustained transmission in general population. Governments should "minimize the impact of the pandemic."

Governments need to make information available to the public and actively increase awareness through channels such as the public media.

Additionally, governments need to make information available to the public and actively increase awareness through channels such as the public media. The national government and its agencies should provide funding and advice to local and municipal governments to help planning and preparation.

Some debate has occurred over whether or not the government should enact quarantines in times of pandemics. Civil libertarians argue that it is a form of detention without charge while advocates of quarantines say that quarantines will effectively mitigate the effects of an outbreak. On the other hand, others have also argued that a quarantine will only increase the likelihood of a disease mutating due to the close proximity of individuals.

Sources Consulted

Sources

  • DeMasio, Jacob. "Bush calls for quarantine in case of Avian flu epidemic." 15 Nov 2005. Toronto" Star.
  • Faal, Sorcha. "H3N8 Virus Hits US Dogs - Thousands Killed Feds Impose Censorship Orders Under New Quarantine Provision Laws", 11 Jun 2005.
  • Greene, Lisa. "What you should know about bird flu." 25 Oct 2005. St. Petersburg Times.
  • Grigg, William Norman."More "Preventive Detention" From the Bush Administration," 5 Jan 2006. The New American.
  • Levy, Adrian and Cathy Clark. "Flu on the wing." 15 Oct 2005. The Guardian.
  • Orent, Wendy. "The Fear Contagion." 16 Oct, 2005.
  • Pandemic Flu. US Dept. of Health & Human Services. 14 Mar. 2006 <http://www.pandemicflu.gov/>.
  •  "Transmission of ‘Influenza A’ Viruses Between Animals and People." 2005. Centers for Disease Control. <http://www.bt.cdc.gov/scripts/emailprint/print.asp>.
  • WHO global influenza preparedness plan. World Health Organization. Switzerland, 2005. <http://www.who.int/csr/resources/publications/influenza/WHO_CDS_CSR_GIP_2005_5/en/>.