Giuseppe
Emeritus
PLoS Medicine: Reflections on Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 and the International Response (Abstract, edited)
[Source: PLoS, full text: <cite cite="http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pmed.1000346?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+plosmedicine%2FNewArticles+%28Ambra+-+Medicine+New+Articles%29">PLoS Medicine: Reflections on Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 and the International Response</cite>. Abstract, edited.]
Essay
Reflections on Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 and the International Response
Gabriel Leung and Angus Nicoll provide their reflections on the international response to the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic, including what went well and what changes need to be made in anticipation of future flu pandemics.
Gabriel M. Leung 1*, Angus Nicoll 2
1 Food and Health Bureau, Government of the Hong Kong SAR, People's Republic of China,
2 European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Stockholm, Sweden
Citation: Leung GM, Nicoll A (2010) Reflections on Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 and the International Response. PLoS Med 7(10): e1000346. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1000346
Published: October 5, 2010
Copyright: ? 2010 Leung, Nicoll. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Funding: No specific funding was received for this article.
Competing interests: The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Food and Health Bureau, Government of the Hong Kong SAR, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Each of the authors declares no conflict of interest, financial or otherwise. AN is on long-term secondment to ECDC from the UK Health Protection Agency.
* E-mail: gmleung@fhb.gov.hk
Provenance: Commissioned; externally peer reviewed.
Summary Points
* Many of the initial responses to the 2009 H1N1 pandemic went well but there are many lessons to learn for future pandemic planning.
* Clear communication of public health messages is crucial, and should not confuse what could happen (and should be prepared for) with what is most likely to happen.
* Decisions regarding pandemic response during the exigencies of a public health emergency must be judged according to the best evidence available at the time.
* Revising pandemic plans?to be more flexible and more detailed?should wait for WHO leadership if national plans are not to diverge. Surveillance beyond influenza should be stepped up, and contingencies drawn up for the emergence or re-emergence of other novel and known pathogens.
* Data collection and sharing are paramount, and include epidemiological and immunological data. Clinical management of severe influenza disease should not be limited to the current antiviral regimen, and include the development of other therapeutics (e.g., novel antivirals and immunotherapy).
* Greater and more timely access to antivirals and influenza vaccines worldwide remains an ongoing challenge.
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[Source: PLoS, full text: <cite cite="http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pmed.1000346?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+plosmedicine%2FNewArticles+%28Ambra+-+Medicine+New+Articles%29">PLoS Medicine: Reflections on Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 and the International Response</cite>. Abstract, edited.]
Essay
Reflections on Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 and the International Response
Gabriel Leung and Angus Nicoll provide their reflections on the international response to the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic, including what went well and what changes need to be made in anticipation of future flu pandemics.
Gabriel M. Leung 1*, Angus Nicoll 2
1 Food and Health Bureau, Government of the Hong Kong SAR, People's Republic of China,
2 European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Stockholm, Sweden
Citation: Leung GM, Nicoll A (2010) Reflections on Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 and the International Response. PLoS Med 7(10): e1000346. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1000346
Published: October 5, 2010
Copyright: ? 2010 Leung, Nicoll. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Funding: No specific funding was received for this article.
Competing interests: The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Food and Health Bureau, Government of the Hong Kong SAR, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Each of the authors declares no conflict of interest, financial or otherwise. AN is on long-term secondment to ECDC from the UK Health Protection Agency.
* E-mail: gmleung@fhb.gov.hk
Provenance: Commissioned; externally peer reviewed.
Summary Points
* Many of the initial responses to the 2009 H1N1 pandemic went well but there are many lessons to learn for future pandemic planning.
* Clear communication of public health messages is crucial, and should not confuse what could happen (and should be prepared for) with what is most likely to happen.
* Decisions regarding pandemic response during the exigencies of a public health emergency must be judged according to the best evidence available at the time.
* Revising pandemic plans?to be more flexible and more detailed?should wait for WHO leadership if national plans are not to diverge. Surveillance beyond influenza should be stepped up, and contingencies drawn up for the emergence or re-emergence of other novel and known pathogens.
* Data collection and sharing are paramount, and include epidemiological and immunological data. Clinical management of severe influenza disease should not be limited to the current antiviral regimen, and include the development of other therapeutics (e.g., novel antivirals and immunotherapy).
* Greater and more timely access to antivirals and influenza vaccines worldwide remains an ongoing challenge.
-
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