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Pandemic Influenza Response: An Introduction from NAFSA's Pandemic Influenza Task Force
Dear Colleagues:
It is currently impossible to predict when the next influenza pandemic will begin. It is also difficult to predict its impact with accuracy. Most emergencies happen unexpectedly, but if preparations are made ahead of time, some of the impact can be avoided or moderated. Therefore, having good general action plans in place for potential types of events means that you will already have an emergency template upon which you can build a specific response quickly, should a need arise.
Two Web resources have been designed to guide you as you prepare a contingency plan: General Planning Principles and Resources & Recommended Readings. As cochairs of the Pandemic Influenza Task Force, our hope is to provide a template for a response to a pandemic that can be modified to suit a variety of international programs at many different institutions. No single plan will suit all institutions, and the reality is that local, state, and national policies will dictate part or all of the institutional responses. We strongly suggest that you consult with your institution's preparedness officer. Ask if you can be an active participant, if you are not yet involved, and coordinate your own plans with other efforts. Our purpose is limited and is two-fold: to help you to be better informed concerning issues related to a possible pandemic and to suggest ways to ensure that the special needs of international students in the United States and U.S. students abroad are included in the planning.
There is already a host of solid work that has been completed. Some of the links to that work are provided in other parts of the Web site. We recommend that you refer to the series of checklists that have been provided as a guide to your preparation. We believe that by knowing the facts and resources, this will be useful and effective preparation for you personally and professionally. One positive result of SARS was the way in which many different institutions and programs, both in the United States and abroad, worked together in the best interest of students. This included sharing information and practices openly and quickly as the situation developed. Should it be necessary, we will use this Web page as a forum for sharing additional information as it becomes relevant and available.
While SARS was a very different circumstance, we can use the lessons of cooperation that were a legacy of that event and apply them.
Sincerely,
Nancy Ericksen (Trinity University) and Rudie Altamirano (University of Michigan)
Cochairs of the NAFSA Pandemic Influenza Task Force
Task Force members:
Inés DeRomaña (University of California)
Claudia Lyons (Southern Arkansas University)
It is currently impossible to predict when the next influenza pandemic will begin. It is also difficult to predict its impact with accuracy. Most emergencies happen unexpectedly, but if preparations are made ahead of time, some of the impact can be avoided or moderated. Therefore, having good general action plans in place for potential types of events means that you will already have an emergency template upon which you can build a specific response quickly, should a need arise.
Two Web resources have been designed to guide you as you prepare a contingency plan: General Planning Principles and Resources & Recommended Readings. As cochairs of the Pandemic Influenza Task Force, our hope is to provide a template for a response to a pandemic that can be modified to suit a variety of international programs at many different institutions. No single plan will suit all institutions, and the reality is that local, state, and national policies will dictate part or all of the institutional responses. We strongly suggest that you consult with your institution's preparedness officer. Ask if you can be an active participant, if you are not yet involved, and coordinate your own plans with other efforts. Our purpose is limited and is two-fold: to help you to be better informed concerning issues related to a possible pandemic and to suggest ways to ensure that the special needs of international students in the United States and U.S. students abroad are included in the planning.
There is already a host of solid work that has been completed. Some of the links to that work are provided in other parts of the Web site. We recommend that you refer to the series of checklists that have been provided as a guide to your preparation. We believe that by knowing the facts and resources, this will be useful and effective preparation for you personally and professionally. One positive result of SARS was the way in which many different institutions and programs, both in the United States and abroad, worked together in the best interest of students. This included sharing information and practices openly and quickly as the situation developed. Should it be necessary, we will use this Web page as a forum for sharing additional information as it becomes relevant and available.
While SARS was a very different circumstance, we can use the lessons of cooperation that were a legacy of that event and apply them.
Sincerely,
Nancy Ericksen (Trinity University) and Rudie Altamirano (University of Michigan)
Cochairs of the NAFSA Pandemic Influenza Task Force
Task Force members:
Inés DeRomaña (University of California)
Claudia Lyons (Southern Arkansas University)
